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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: scale · lie · toast · clip · racket · pop

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pop — music
  4. clip — a video
  5. pop — to visit
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. lie — to recline
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pop — soda
  17. toast — bread
  18. scale — for weighing

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