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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. scale — size or range
  8. land — ground
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bound — obliged
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. foot — a measure
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. bound — certain
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bound — tied together
  24. foot — the bottom

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