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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: pit · jam · bound · rest · calf · scale · file · stem

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stem — to come from
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. file — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. file — a document
  12. rest — a break
  13. pit — in a race
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rest — what's left

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