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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. clip — a video
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. roll — a list
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — in music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — size or range
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. roll — on a 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