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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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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: cue · perch · can · saw · clip · ball · mouse · patient

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. clip — to cut
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. clip — a video
  11. ball — a great time
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — for paper
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cue — for pool
  24. can — a tin

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