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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: perch · net · bear · squash · date · bay · plane · clip

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. clip — a video
  3. plane — a tool
  4. squash — the sport
  5. clip — to cut
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. net — after costs
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. net — for catching
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. net — in sport
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bear — the animal

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