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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — steady
  4. field — for sport
  5. suit — clothes
  6. firm — a company
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. board — a committee
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — farmland
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. clip — a video
  16. field — a subject
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. drill — army training
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. drill — a practice
  24. suit — in cards

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