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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 · rock · object · pass · fine · clip · field · straw

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. field — farmland
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. field — a subject
  6. rock — music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. clip — to cut
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. field — for sport
  13. pass — a permit
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. clip — a video
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. object — an aim
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rock — a stone
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fine — all right

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