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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — to get on
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — a video
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. band — a ring
  12. track — to keep track
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. board — a committee
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cue — a signal
  18. band — a music group
  19. clip — for paper
  20. cue — for pool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — a hint

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