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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: perch · lie · pound · season · clip · cap · pit · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cap — of ice
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. cap — a lid
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. clip — a video
  21. cap — a hat
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pit — a hole

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