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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: racket · staff · pit · ground · object · cue · perch · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. clip — a video
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pit — in a race
  10. staff — a stick
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ground — crushed
  13. object — a thing
  14. cue — a signal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. object — an aim
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cue — a hint
  21. object — to protest
  22. pit — a hole
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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