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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: bear · capital · pass · drill · object · scale · safe · file

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. object — an aim
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. object — a thing
  5. drill — army training
  6. object — to protest
  7. capital — money
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. drill — a practice
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. file — a tool
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. capital — a city
  19. bear — the animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. file — a document
  22. scale — size or range
  23. file — a line of people
  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