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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.

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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: leaves · fan · board · pitch · clip · track · ruler · last

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. clip — a video
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. track — a song
  7. board — to get on
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. clip — for paper
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — to go on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fan — a supporter
  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