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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: row · scale · file · ground · object · root · chest · ball

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. root — of a word
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chest — of your body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. object — a thing
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ground — crushed
  12. row — to paddle
  13. object — an aim
  14. file — a document
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. chest — a box
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. object — to protest
  22. row — a line
  23. file — a tool
  24. root — the cause

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