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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. suit — to fit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. clip — a video
  7. fine — high quality
  8. face — to confront
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — all right
  14. board — a committee
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. face — to point toward
  18. board — to get on
  19. face — part of the head
  20. can — a tin
  21. clip — for paper
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  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