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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. clip — for paper
  3. chip — for betting
  4. clip — a video
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. perch — the fish
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. degree — an amount
  14. clip — to cut
  15. degree — temperature
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. degree — from a university
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ball — a great time
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fan — to cool the air

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