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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. clip — for paper
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. clip — to cut
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. board — a committee
  11. foot — a measure
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. staff — employees
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. staff — a stick
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — to get on
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. clip — a video
  24. band — a ring

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