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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — to cut
  6. court — of a king
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. can — to be able to
  10. court — for sport
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. clip — for paper
  13. tube — a container
  14. court — of law
  15. clip — a video
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — a trace
  24. hide — to keep secret

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