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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 · tube · fine · wake · current · stand · clip · prune

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. scale — in music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. clip — to cut
  12. scale — size or range
  13. current — of water
  14. tube — a container
  15. current — electric
  16. clip — a video
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stand — to bear
  19. current — happening now
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. clip — for paper
  22. wake — a trail
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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