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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: file · board · date · band · scale · craft · perch · arm

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. file — a document
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. scale — in music
  5. craft — boats
  6. band — a music group
  7. scale — size or range
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. craft — a skill
  17. board — to get on
  18. file — a tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — a committee
  23. date — the fruit
  24. file — a line of people

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