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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · clip · current · rash · scale · content · pit · straw

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. root — of a word
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pit — a hole
  6. current — of water
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. content — happy
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. root — of a plant
  11. current — electric
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pit — in a race
  15. root — the cause
  16. current — happening now
  17. content — the amount
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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