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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: scale · roll · file · bank · safe · court · club · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a line of people
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. club — a group
  7. file — a document
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. club — for golf
  11. court — of a king
  12. content — happy
  13. scale — size or range
  14. roll — a cake
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. roll — a list
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — in music
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. file — a tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. club — for dancing
  24. roll — on a roll

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