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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. clip — a video
  3. land — a country
  4. clip — to cut
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cue — a hint
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. land — to come down
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mark — a grade
  14. board — a committee
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. face — part of the head
  21. board — to get on
  22. land — ground
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. face — to confront

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