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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: clip · mark · tube · bear · cabinet · can · chip · board

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. board — a committee
  3. can — to be able to
  4. clip — to cut
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. can — a tin
  8. board — to get on
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. clip — a video
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bear — the 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