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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.

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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: date · fork · wake · cue · scale · calf · bowl · degree

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. degree — an amount
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cue — a hint
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. degree — temperature
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fork — in a road
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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