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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: tube · scale · mark · ground · calf · coach · mate · hand

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. scale — in music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. scale — size or range
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tube — a container
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mark — a grade
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mate — a friend
  24. scale — for weighing

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