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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bass — low music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. club — a group
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. current — electric
  14. mark — a trace
  15. clip — a video
  16. current — happening now
  17. club — for golf
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. club — for dancing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cap — a lid

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