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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: clip · jam · perch · board · game · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. clip — for paper
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. board — to get on
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. clip — a video
  10. board — a committee
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. game — wild animals
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish

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