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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 · bank · prune · kid · board · fall · coach · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — child
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fall — the season
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. kid — to tease
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. prune — to trim
  23. file — a tool
  24. scale — in music

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