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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
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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: stock · bulb · roll · mug · scale · mouse · clip · spell

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mug — a face
  3. scale — in music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. clip — a video
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — to rob
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mug — a cup
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. scale — size or range
  15. spell — magic
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stock — goods
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stock — shares
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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