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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: scale · bowl · mate · arm · file · content · cabinet · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. scale — size or range
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. file — a document
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. file — a tool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. scale — in music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. content — happy
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mate — to breed
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. file — a line of people
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. dip — a sauce

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