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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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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: staff · plane · scale · clip · club · cue · bore · jam

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cue — a signal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. clip — for paper
  7. club — for golf
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. staff — a stick
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. staff — employees
  13. clip — a video
  14. club — a group
  15. scale — size or range
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cue — for pool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. staff — employees
  22. bore — to tire
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cue — a hint

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