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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 116 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 · pass · pound · racket · clip · leaves · mark · rash

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rash — a series
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. scale — in music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. clip — a video
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mark — a grade
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mark — a trace

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