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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. clip — a video
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fine — all right
  9. clip — for paper
  10. board — to get on
  11. fine — high quality
  12. drill — the tool
  13. clip — to cut
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rock — music
  22. drill — army training
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a committee

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