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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. clip — for paper
  3. present — there
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. clip — a video
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. clip — to cut
  8. board — a committee
  9. object — a thing
  10. key — the most important part
  11. prune — to trim
  12. object — to protest
  13. prune — to trim
  14. key — in music
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. board — to get on
  17. ground — the earth
  18. present — a gift
  19. ground — crushed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. object — an aim
  23. ground — a position
  24. key — for a lock

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