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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: pop · mug · sharp · perch · prune · cabinet · bay · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mug — a face
  8. pop — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. clip — to cut
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. clip — a video
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mug — a cup
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pop — soda

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