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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: club · drill · clip · root · file · scale · patient · stand

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. drill — a practice
  3. scale — size or range
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. clip — a video
  12. club — a group
  13. file — a tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. clip — for paper
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. root — of a plant
  19. club — for golf
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — to cut
  23. club — for dancing
  24. scale — in music

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