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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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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: craft · calf · last · swing · stock · fine · mate · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. stock — goods
  6. mate — to breed
  7. craft — boats
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fine — high quality
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stock — shares
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mate — a friend
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. swing — in golf
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. scale — in music

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