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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.

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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: mouse · rock · craft · pass · clip · rush · game · perch

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. clip — a video
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. game — a match
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. craft — boats
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. craft — a skill

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