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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: capital · stand · pass · bass · mine · file · perch · arm

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. file — a document
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. mine — for digging
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bass — low music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — the fish
  21. capital — a city
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. perch — for a bird
  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