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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mug — a cup
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. clip — a video
  5. track — a path
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. clip — to cut
  17. track — a song
  18. mug — a face
  19. board — a committee
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. clip — for paper

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