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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. drill — the tool
  4. clip — for paper
  5. drill — army training
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. clip — a video
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — a division
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. board — a committee
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rock — a stone
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rock — music
  24. board — to get on

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