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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 116 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: snap · scale · pit · cap · stick · perch · clip · bear

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. snap — to click
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pit — in a race
  12. clip — a video
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. clip — to cut
  22. scale — size or range
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. perch — for a bird

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