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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: pass · rule · scale · bore · club · clip · fine · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. club — for dancing
  4. clip — a video
  5. club — a group
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bore — to tire
  8. club — for golf
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rule — a law
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fine — all right
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. scale — in music
  24. ball — a great time

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