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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · perch · net · dip · pit · rock · fan · chair

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. clip — for paper
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — in a race
  8. clip — to cut
  9. net — in sport
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. net — for catching
  12. rock — a stone
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. clip — a video
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pit — a hole
  18. net — after costs
  19. rock — music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chair — a leader
  23. dip — a sauce
  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