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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. clip — a video
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. root — the cause
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. clip — to cut
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. rest — a break
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. last — finally
  16. board — to get on
  17. scale — in music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. root — of a word
  21. last — final
  22. clip — for paper
  23. last — to go on
  24. ruler — for measuring

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