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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: charge · scale · club · cap · arm · firm · clip · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. firm — a company
  7. clip — a video
  8. firm — decided
  9. scale — size or range
  10. club — for dancing
  11. charge — a price
  12. clip — for paper
  13. charge — in control
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. firm — steady
  17. club — a group
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. scale — in music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. charge — electricity
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. club — for golf

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