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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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · scale · march · rest · row · key · calf · saw

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rest — a break
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. key — for a lock
  7. scale — size or range
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a committee
  11. row — to paddle
  12. march — the month
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — in music
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. board — to get on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. calf — of the leg

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