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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: pit · fall · fan · clip · board · bowl · content · wave

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — a committee
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — to cut
  13. board — to get on
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — in a race
  16. content — the amount
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. content — happy
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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