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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.

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: perch · pop · sharp · pitcher · mug · mate · kick · clip

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mate — a partner
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. perch — the fish
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mate — a friend
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pop — music
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pop — to visit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kick — in football
  24. sharp — clever

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