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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: bulb · cap · pass · clip · board · mark · tear · scale

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tear — to rip
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pass — a permit
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tear — from crying
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cap — of ice
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. board — to get on
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mark — a trace
  22. board — a committee
  23. scale — in music
  24. pass — to spend time

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