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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.

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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: clip · scale · band · mug · cabinet · firm · net · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — in music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — a video
  6. net — after costs
  7. clip — for paper
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mug — to rob
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. firm — decided
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mug — a face
  14. net — in sport
  15. mug — a cup
  16. band — a music group
  17. clip — to cut
  18. net — for catching
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. band — a ring

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