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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · board · fine · clip · march · rule

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — a committee
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. march — music
  6. fine — all right
  7. sharp — clever
  8. march — the month
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. clip — for paper
  11. board — to get on
  12. rule — government
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rule — a law
  17. clip — a video
  18. fine — high quality

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