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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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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: bat · staff · bass · hide · ball · board · clip · club

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. board — to get on
  5. bat — the animal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — low music
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bass — the fish
  13. staff — employees
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. ball — a great time
  17. board — a committee
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. staff — employees
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ball — a dance
  24. staff — a stick

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