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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: can · track · clip · mark · board · bass · bound · calf

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. clip — a video
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. can — a tin
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bass — low music
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mark — a grade
  11. can — a tin
  12. board — a committee
  13. clip — to cut
  14. board — to get on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bound — certain
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bass — the fish
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — tied together
  21. track — a path
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. track — a song
  24. calf — a young 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