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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. game — wild animals
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. perch — the fish
  8. scale — size or range
  9. game — a match
  10. scale — in music
  11. clip — to cut
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bank — of a river
  14. row — a line
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bank — for money
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bank — for money
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — music
  24. clip — for paper

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