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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: cap · temple · bore · clip · pop · band · scale · patient

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. pop — soda
  3. clip — a video
  4. cap — a lid
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cap — a hat
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. clip — for paper
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. band — a ring
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bore — to tire
  16. clip — to cut
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. band — a music group
  20. pop — to visit
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — music
  23. bore — to drill
  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