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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: club · scale · bulb · rock · nail · arm · root · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. club — for golf
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — in music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — music
  14. clip — a video
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bulb — for light
  17. clip — for paper
  18. club — a group
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. root — the cause
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. club — for dancing
  24. scale — for weighing

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