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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: march · suit · saw · clip · perch · race · deal · object

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. clip — a video
  3. deal — to handle
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. race — a contest
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. object — to protest
  8. saw — the tool
  9. clip — to cut
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. object — an aim
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. object — a thing
  17. suit — to fit
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. suit — in cards
  20. march — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. clip — for paper
  23. saw — the tool
  24. perch — the fish

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