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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 120 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: file · fall · hide · court · scale · capital · pound · pass

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. court — of law
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pass — a permit
  7. court — for sport
  8. file — a line of people
  9. scale — in music
  10. capital — a city
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. file — a tool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. capital — money
  17. pound — a weight
  18. court — of a king
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. hide — to keep secret

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