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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: scale · file · board · firm · pass · spring · cap · lean

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. board — a committee
  3. file — a document
  4. lean — thin
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. spring — the season
  9. scale — in music
  10. file — a tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. cap — of ice
  13. firm — decided
  14. cap — a hat
  15. spring — a coil
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. spring — of water
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. scale — for weighing

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