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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. clip — a video
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. clip — for paper
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. clip — to cut
  7. track — a path
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bore — to drill
  13. board — a committee
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. capital — a city
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. capital — money
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fine — high quality
  20. vault — a safe
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fine — all right
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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