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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 120 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.

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 · wave · ball · pitcher · nail · club · perch · fine

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. club — a group
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. clip — to cut
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fine — all right
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. clip — for paper
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. clip — a video
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. fine — high quality
  24. nail — on a finger

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