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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: content · straw · pass · plane · clip · perch · track · chip

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. clip — a video
  8. chip — for betting
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pass — a permit
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. clip — to cut
  20. content — the amount
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. content — happy
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — to keep track

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