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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: club · clip · current · leaves · perch · branch · nail · mug

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. current — happening now
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mug — to rob
  7. club — for dancing
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. clip — to cut
  10. club — for golf
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. current — of water
  16. branch — a division
  17. mug — a face
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. clip — for paper
  20. club — a group
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mug — a cup

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