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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ball — a dance
  3. clip — a video
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. clip — to cut
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a great time
  13. foot — a measure
  14. clip — for paper
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — a law
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fall — the season
  20. rule — government
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wave — with your hand

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