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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: tube · scale · clip · land · capital · pass · pit · squash

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. clip — to cut
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. capital — money
  6. tube — the underground
  7. squash — to crush
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. clip — a video
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pass — a permit
  16. scale — in music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. land — a country
  21. tube — a container
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pass — to spend time

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