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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
468
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: mouse · sharp · prune · perch · clip · calf · fan · pit

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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