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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spell · stand · file · capital · staff

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spell — a short time
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. staff — employees
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. file — a document
  14. capital — a city
  15. spell — letters
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spell — magic

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