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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 · bore · track · scale · date · wave · club · land

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. land — to come down
  3. club — for dancing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — in music
  6. date — the fruit
  7. club — for golf
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. track — a song
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. land — ground
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bore — to drill
  16. track — a path
  17. scale — size or range
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. land — a country
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. calf — a young animal

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