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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. clip — a video
  3. net — in sport
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rule — government
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — the month
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. staff — a stick
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. staff — employees
  18. bark — to shout
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — to cut
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rule — a law
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — a trainer

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