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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: mouse · plane · net · band · ruler · march · chip · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. net — after costs
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. net — for catching
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. net — in sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. clip — for paper
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — to eat
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. clip — to cut
  22. band — a ring
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — music

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