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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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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 · roll · perch · club · safe · stick · craft · pass

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. clip — for paper
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pass — a permit
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. clip — a video
  11. perch — the fish
  12. roll — a list
  13. club — a group
  14. clip — to cut
  15. craft — boats
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. club — for golf
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pass — to spend time
  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