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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: file · bound · pit · staff · cabinet · bass · march · capital

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bass — low music
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. capital — money
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. capital — a city
  12. bound — certain
  13. staff — employees
  14. bass — the fish
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bound — obliged
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — a big letter

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