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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: rest · tube · patient · clip · trunk · ground · scale · chip

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rest — what's left
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. chip — to eat
  12. scale — size or range
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. clip — a video
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. tube — a container
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ground — the earth
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rest — a break

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