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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.

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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 · scale · tube · chair · ball · ground · bulb · leaves

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. file — a document
  4. ground — a position
  5. file — a line of people
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chair — a leader
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ground — crushed
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ball — a dance
  19. file — a tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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