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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 116 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. perch — the fish
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. row — a line
  14. board — to get on
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. board — a committee
  19. clip — to cut
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chip — to eat
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. board — a flat piece

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