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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: calf · file · scale · press · rule · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rule — government
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. press — a publisher
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. press — to push
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. capital — a city
  17. rule — a law
  18. file — a line of people

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