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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: capital · bowl · scale · file · firm · bore · mark · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. scale — in music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. firm — decided
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. firm — steady
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. capital — money
  18. mark — a grade
  19. capital — a city
  20. bore — to tire
  21. firm — a company
  22. bore — to drill
  23. scale — size or range
  24. file — a document

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