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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: scale · arm · band · clip · capital · pass · season · ruler

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. clip — a video
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pass — a permit
  6. band — a music group
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. capital — a city
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. clip — for paper
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. clip — to cut
  23. season — in sport
  24. pass — to succeed

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