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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.

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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 · arm · root · bound · chip · spring · toast · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a document
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chip — for betting
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. root — of a plant
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. root — the cause
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. toast — bread
  21. bound — obliged
  22. scale — in music
  23. root — of a word
  24. spring — the season

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