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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. scale — size or range
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. scale — in music
  7. board — to get on
  8. game — wild animals
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. present — a gift
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. game — a match
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chair — a leader
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — there
  20. sharp — clever
  21. board — a committee
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. present — the time now
  24. safe — out of danger

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