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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: scale · file · fall · present · row · racket · staff · can

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. can — to be able to
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fall — to drop
  6. row — a line
  7. present — a gift
  8. can — a tin
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. scale — size or range
  13. file — a tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. file — a document
  16. present — the time now
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — the season
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. scale — in music
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — a tin
  24. present — there

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