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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: sharp · mug · rock · cell · pit · perch · pass · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. rock — music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mug — to rob
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mug — a face
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. clip — a video
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pit — in a race
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cell — a phone

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