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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. root — of a word
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. root — the cause
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — to get on
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cap — a lid
  24. clip — to cut

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