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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
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: rash · degree · sharp · trunk · file · cap · can · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. file — a tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cap — a hat
  7. file — a document
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rash — hasty
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rash — a series
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cap — of ice
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. file — a line of people
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. sharp — clever
  23. degree — an amount
  24. can — a tin

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