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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: cabinet · hand · drill · scale · clip · ruler · bass · fork

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hand — help
  5. scale — size or range
  6. hand — in cards
  7. clip — a video
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. drill — army training
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bass — low music
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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