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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 120 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 · wave · season · rule · file · bat · fan · staff

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. file — a document
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. season — of the year
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. season — in sport
  18. staff — employees
  19. rule — government
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rule — a law
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. staff — employees
  24. file — a tool

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