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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: clip · current · bay · board · scale · trunk · prune · spring

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. scale — in music
  3. spring — of water
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. current — of water
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — electric
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. clip — to cut
  13. current — happening now
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. spring — the season
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. clip — for paper
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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