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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. club — a group
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. clip — a video
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chip — to eat
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chip — for betting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — for dancing
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. clip — to cut
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. clip — for paper
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. club — for golf
  21. perch — the fish
  22. tube — a container
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com