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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. land — a country
  4. board — to get on
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. scale — in music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. clip — to cut
  12. board — a committee
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bank — of a river
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bank — for money
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — to come down
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. land — ground
  23. pitch — completely
  24. scale — size or range

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