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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ground — crushed
  3. board — to get on
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bound — certain
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. clip — a video
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pop — music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mark — a trace
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. kick — in football
  18. pop — soda
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — a committee
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. clip — to cut

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