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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. clip — for paper
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. capital — a city
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. vault — a safe
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cell — in biology
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. capital — money
  20. clip — to cut
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. suit — in cards

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