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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: capital · bore · chest · file · dip · foot · present · scale

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. capital — money
  3. dip — to sink
  4. chest — of your body
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. present — the time now
  7. scale — size or range
  8. file — a tool
  9. foot — a measure
  10. scale — in music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chest — a box
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. present — there
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. present — a gift
  20. file — a line of people
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. capital — a city
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chest — of your body

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