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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. scale — in music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rock — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. roll — a list
  19. mark — a trace
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rock — a stone

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