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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: lie · court · capital · staff · scale · bore · file · mouse

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. file — a tool
  5. capital — money
  6. bore — to tire
  7. scale — in music
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. capital — a city
  17. staff — employees
  18. court — of a king
  19. file — a document
  20. staff — employees
  21. lie — to recline
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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