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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: clip · craft · pop · bound · cap · pitcher · present · board

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. present — there
  4. pop — to visit
  5. board — a committee
  6. cap — a hat
  7. present — the time now
  8. bound — tied together
  9. present — a gift
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pop — music
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pop — soda
  20. board — to get on
  21. cap — of ice
  22. clip — a video
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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