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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 124 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. present — there
  5. perch — the fish
  6. present — a gift
  7. clip — to cut
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. board — to get on
  10. mug — to rob
  11. tube — the underground
  12. present — the time now
  13. stock — goods
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. board — a committee
  21. mug — a face
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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