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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.

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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: fine · bore · scale · march · file · coach · stem · trunk

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. scale — size or range
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — music
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stem — to come from
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bore — to drill
  21. scale — in music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. file — a line of people

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