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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.

Make a worksheet

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: clip · bowl · jam · tube · foot · scale · cabinet · racket

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. clip — for paper
  8. scale — size or range
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. tube — a container
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. tube — the underground
  22. scale — in music
  23. clip — a video
  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