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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: dip · date · club · field · cap · perch · clip · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. date — the fruit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. club — a group
  5. field — a subject
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. clip — for paper
  10. dip — to sink
  11. clip — a video
  12. cap — a hat
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. perch — the fish
  17. field — for sport
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fine — all right
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fine — high quality
  22. field — farmland
  23. cap — of ice
  24. date — on the calendar

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