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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. present — the time now
  4. march — the month
  5. present — there
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. board — a committee
  10. net — for catching
  11. present — a gift
  12. staff — employees
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. clip — to cut
  17. board — to get on
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. march — the month
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. march — music

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