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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: scale · date · rest · fan · key · calf · cap · court

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — of a king
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. key — in music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — for sport
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rest — a break
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. court — of law
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cap — of ice
  22. key — for a lock
  23. date — the fruit
  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