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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bear — the animal
  5. clip — a video
  6. pitch — completely
  7. clip — to cut
  8. squash — the sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. clip — for paper
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. snap — to click
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bear — the animal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. board — a committee
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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