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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: root · calf · pound · squash · bay · hand · mate · scale

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hand — in cards
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hand — help
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. root — of a word
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. hand — part of the body

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