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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: plane · scale · file · capital · ruler · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. file — a tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. file — a line of people
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. capital — a city
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. scale — in music
  15. file — a document
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. scale — size or range
  18. capital — money

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