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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. clip — to cut
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pit — in a race
  7. board — to get on
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pit — a hole
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cap — a hat
  14. season — in sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. board — a committee
  22. season — of the year
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. season — to add flavour

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