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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: scale · root · clip · ball · arm · squash · cue · patient

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. clip — a video
  3. root — of a word
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ball — a great time
  8. clip — to cut
  9. root — the cause
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ball — a dance
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. squash — to crush
  16. root — of a plant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. squash — the sport
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cue — a signal

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