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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fine — all right
  4. clip — a video
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bark — to shout
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chip — for betting
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. board — to get on
  17. scale — size or range
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. board — a committee
  21. chip — to eat
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fine — high quality

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