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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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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: saw · scale · fan · clip · roll · ground

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. clip — a video
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ground — the earth
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — size or range
  16. clip — for paper
  17. roll — a cake
  18. fan — a supporter

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