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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 120 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
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 · key · pit · can · bound · clip · chair · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. clip — for paper
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — to be able to
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. clip — a video
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bound — certain
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. key — in music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — in a race
  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