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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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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. scale — in music
  3. track — a song
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bank — for money
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chest — a box
  12. track — a path
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. track — to keep track
  16. clip — a video
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bank — for money
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bowl — to roll

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