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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. board — a committee
  3. bank — for money
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. band — a music group
  8. bank — for money
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. can — to be able to
  11. swing — to play on
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. can — a tin
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bank — of a river
  17. swing — music
  18. band — a ring
  19. rule — a law
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rule — government
  24. board — to get on

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