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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. board — to get on
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. clip — to cut
  6. sharp — clever
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rock — music
  12. board — a committee
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — all right
  16. bank — for money
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bulb — for light
  20. clip — a video
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bat — the animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bat — in an idiom

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