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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: root · clip · perch · last · board · bat · pound · scale

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. board — to get on
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. root — of a word
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — final
  15. bat — the animal
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. perch — the fish
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. clip — to cut
  22. root — the cause
  23. clip — for paper
  24. scale — for weighing

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