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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · clip · tube · kick · arm · scale · bowl · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. clip — to cut
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. board — to get on
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. clip — for paper
  17. scale — size or range
  18. clip — a video
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kick — in football
  24. board — a flat piece

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