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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.

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: file · sharp · branch · scale · root · cell · pass · capital

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. capital — money
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. file — a document
  8. cell — a phone
  9. scale — in music
  10. capital — a city
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. file — a tool
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. root — of a word
  15. cell — in biology
  16. root — the cause
  17. scale — size or range
  18. root — of a plant
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. branch — a division
  23. sharp — clever
  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