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

Word bank: mouse · pass · cap · foot · stick · trunk · club · clip

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. club — a group
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pass — a permit
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cap — a lid
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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