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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.

Make a worksheet

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: calf · court · fork · can · scale · roll · mine · tear

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mine — for digging
  4. scale — size or range
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. can — a tin
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. can — a tin
  17. court — of a king
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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