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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · date · clip · snap · board · racket · prune · bulb

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. snap — to click
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. date — the fruit
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. clip — a video
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. clip — for paper
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. board — a committee
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. clip — to cut
  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