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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. cap — a hat
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. board — a committee
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cap — a lid
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. content — happy
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. clip — to cut
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stock — goods
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pass — a permit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cap — of ice
  21. clip — a video
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stock — shares
  24. pass — to spend time

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