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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. swing — music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rule — a law
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. board — to get on
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. swing — in golf
  11. board — a committee
  12. clip — a video
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pound — a weight
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rock — music
  21. clip — to cut
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rule — government
  24. rock — a stone

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