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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a committee
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. board — to get on
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rush — hurry
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. clip — a video

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