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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. board — a committee
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. band — a ring
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — a stick
  9. clip — a video
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. staff — employees
  17. lie — to recline
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — to get on
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. clip — for paper
  24. racket — for tennis

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