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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 · staff · sharp · ground · track · scale · rock · net

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. net — after costs
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ground — the earth
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. rock — music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. sharp — clever
  15. net — for catching
  16. rock — a stone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. scale — in music
  19. net — in sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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