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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 · leaves · rest · branch · scale · mouse · board · fork

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. clip — to cut
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rest — a break
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. board — to get on
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. board — a committee
  14. scale — in music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. branch — a division
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fork — in a road

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