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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: cap · clip · mouse · saw · bowl · present · staff · key

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. clip — for paper
  3. present — there
  4. cap — a lid
  5. key — in music
  6. clip — a video
  7. cap — of ice
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. staff — a stick
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. present — the time now
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. present — a gift
  18. cap — a hat
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. staff — employees

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