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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. craft — boats
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. board — a committee
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. clip — a video
  8. can — a tin
  9. board — to get on
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. craft — a skill
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. racket — a loud noise

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