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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. clip — for paper
  4. board — to get on
  5. bark — to shout
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cue — a signal
  8. clip — a video
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — in sport
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. season — of the year
  14. file — a document
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. file — a tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. clip — to cut
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bark — of a tree

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