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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. season — in sport
  10. clip — to cut
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stand — to bear
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. saw — the tool
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. board — to get on
  21. capital — money
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. capital — a city

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