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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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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: date · bear · board · clip · band · spell · stick · fork

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. clip — a video
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. date — the fruit
  6. board — to get on
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a music group
  11. spell — magic
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. clip — to cut
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. board — a committee
  16. band — a ring
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bear — the animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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