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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: pound · squash · craft · calf · mine · wax · cap · scale

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. scale — in music
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. squash — the sport
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cap — a lid
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. squash — to crush
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. craft — a skill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. craft — boats
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wax — to grow

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