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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 124 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. suit — to fit
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. suit — in cards
  8. can — a tin
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. suit — clothes
  11. roll — a list
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. march — the month
  17. clip — for paper
  18. board — to get on
  19. chip — for betting
  20. march — music
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. march — the month

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