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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 120 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 · spring · scale · pitch · clip · charge · mark · rock

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rock — music
  8. scale — in music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. scale — size or range
  12. charge — a price
  13. clip — to cut
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pitch — completely
  16. spring — the season
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mark — a grade
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. charge — in control

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