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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: arm · patient · rock · roll · scale · clip · race · pop

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. scale — in music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. clip — to cut
  5. race — humankind
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pop — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. race — a contest
  11. rock — music
  12. clip — a video
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. race — the arms race
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pop — soda
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. roll — a list
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pop — to visit

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