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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: nail · spell · mine · calf · bass · squash · fork · scale

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. spell — a short time
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bass — low music
  23. mine — for digging
  24. scale — in music

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