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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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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: jam · clip · ball · deal · perch · stick · pound · bay

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. deal — to handle
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pound — a weight
  17. clip — a video
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. clip — for paper

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