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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 · band · scale · straw · racket · file · shower · club

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. file — a document
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. scale — size or range
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. file — a tool
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. file — a line of people
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. band — a music group
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. club — a group
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. band — a ring
  23. club — for dancing
  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