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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 124 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: clip · scale · net · fall · ruler · fan · roll · cue

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. net — for catching
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. roll — a cake
  10. clip — a video
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cue — a hint
  16. net — after costs
  17. fall — to drop
  18. roll — a list
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — in sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — the season

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