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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.

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: wound · foot · pound · scale · wake · tube · calf · key

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tube — a container
  4. wake — a trail
  5. key — in music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pound — a weight
  9. key — for a lock
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. scale — size or range
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wake — before a funeral

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