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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 120 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: scale · snap · clip · craft · bear · club · mouse · fan

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — a skill
  4. clip — a video
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. scale — in music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. club — for golf
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. clip — to cut

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