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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.

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: racket · craft · rule · pit · hand · clip · scale · branch

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pit — in a race
  5. clip — for paper
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pit — a hole
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. craft — a skill
  15. clip — to cut
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. craft — boats
  19. rule — a law
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — in music
  22. rule — government
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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