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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. board — a committee
  4. firm — a company
  5. clip — for paper
  6. band — a music group
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. board — to get on
  11. firm — steady
  12. clip — to cut
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. clip — a video
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. race — a contest
  18. firm — decided
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. race — humankind
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bank — for money
  24. pop — soda

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