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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. current — of water
  3. board — a committee
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pitch — completely
  6. current — electric
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — music
  11. clip — to cut
  12. band — a music group
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. track — a song
  15. board — to get on
  16. track — to keep track
  17. band — a ring
  18. track — a path
  19. current — happening now
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stock — shares

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