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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: foot · jam · date · file · sharp · capital · racket · scale

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. sharp — clever
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. file — a tool
  7. capital — money
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. capital — a city
  10. scale — in music
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. foot — a measure
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. date — the fruit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. file — a document
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. scale — size or range

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