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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: stick · file · cap · sharp · scale · rock · capital · wind

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. file — a tool
  3. capital — a city
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. scale — in music
  9. file — a document
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. sharp — clever
  14. file — a line of people
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cap — of ice
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rock — music
  23. cap — a lid
  24. sharp — with an edge

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