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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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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: file · pit · toast · temple · foot · scale · row · fall

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fall — to drop
  3. file — a line of people
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. scale — in music
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pit — a hole
  9. file — a tool
  10. pit — in a race
  11. foot — a measure
  12. scale — size or range
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. row — to paddle
  16. file — a document
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. row — a line
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. toast — bread
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fall — the season
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. fall — to drop

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