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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: board · prune · squash · clip · stick · dip · kid · scale

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. board — a committee
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. squash — the sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — to crush
  8. clip — for paper
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. dip — to sink
  12. prune — to trim
  13. clip — a video
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. clip — to cut
  20. board — to get on
  21. scale — in music
  22. kid — child
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. kid — to tease

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