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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. board — a committee
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pass — a permit
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pit — in a race
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. board — to get on
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. clip — to cut
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lean — thin
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

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