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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.

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: mate · scale · stock · calf · foot · face · pitch · bear

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stock — goods
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mate — to breed
  9. scale — in music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. foot — a measure
  16. face — part of the head
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  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