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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 · coach · mug · clip · bass · prune · wax · race

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. prune — to trim
  4. clip — a video
  5. mug — a cup
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. prune — to trim
  9. race — humankind
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mug — to rob
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bass — low music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mug — a face
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bass — the fish
  22. race — a contest
  23. wax — to grow
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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