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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. clip — a video
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wake — a trail
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — to get on
  10. staff — a stick
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cap — a lid
  14. clip — for paper
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — a committee
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. clip — to cut

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