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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: pitcher · pass · spring · club · wave · scale · roll · calf

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. club — a group
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. club — for golf
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. spring — of water
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. roll — a list
  23. pass — a permit
  24. spring — a coil

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