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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: straw · row · clip · racket · pop · board · dip · stand

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. clip — a video
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. clip — to cut
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pop — soda
  8. row — a line
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pop — music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pop — to visit
  16. board — a committee
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stand — to bear
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. board — to get on

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