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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kid — to tease
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. kid — child
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. dip — to sink
  15. key — the most important part
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. key — in music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. key — for a lock

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