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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rest · dip · foot · scale · chair · file · ball · net

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. file — a line of people
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. file — a tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a dance
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rest — a break
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. net — for catching
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. file — a document
  21. net — in sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. net — after costs

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