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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: hand · bulb · foot · pit · scale · object · file · charge

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. object — to protest
  4. foot — a measure
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. object — an aim
  9. charge — a price
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pit — a hole
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. charge — in control
  14. hand — help
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bulb — for light
  17. file — a document
  18. object — a thing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pit — in a race
  23. scale — in music
  24. file — a line of people

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