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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ball — a great time
  4. suit — clothes
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lean — thin
  10. board — to get on
  11. key — for a lock
  12. drill — army training
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lean — to bend
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. clip — a video
  21. key — in music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. drill — a practice
  24. suit — to fit

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