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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 116 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: clip · pitcher · band · race · bear · scale · object · bank

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. object — to protest
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. bank — of a river
  23. object — an aim
  24. race — a contest

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