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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cue — a signal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. scale — size or range
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. clip — to cut
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cue — a hint
  22. saw — the tool
  23. clip — a video
  24. cue — for pool

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