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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: rash · capital · file · roll · chip · scale · bay · land

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. roll — a list
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. land — ground
  5. rash — hasty
  6. file — a tool
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. land — a country
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. capital — money
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. chip — to eat
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. land — to come down
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rash — a series
  22. capital — a city
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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