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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · date · club · pop · rule · mouse · pitcher · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pop — music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pop — to visit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. date — the fruit
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — soda
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rule — government
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. clip — a video
  22. club — a group
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lie — an untruth

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