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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: ground · cue · band · temple · nail · scale · can · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. can — to be able to
  3. scale — in music
  4. clip — for paper
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cue — for pool
  7. can — a tin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — a signal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ground — a position
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. clip — to cut
  19. cue — a hint
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — size or range

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