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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: calf · track · season · scale · ground · dip · snap · bank

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ground — a position
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. scale — size or range
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. ground — crushed
  12. track — a song
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bank — for money
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. track — a path
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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