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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · calf · bear · scale · pitcher · swing

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. file — a tool
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. swing — music
  17. scale — in music
  18. calf — a young animal

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