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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.

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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: fan · clip · prune · bulb · stand · scale · cabinet · cue

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stand — to bear
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. clip — for paper

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