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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — obliged
  7. clip — a video
  8. board — a committee
  9. fine — all right
  10. squash — to crush
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. board — to get on
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bound — certain
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bound — tied together
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bulb — for light

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