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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: scale · bore · calf · stand · perch · shower · club · sharp

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. club — a group
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. club — for golf
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bore — to drill
  20. shower — to wash
  21. scale — in music
  22. sharp — clever
  23. shower — rain
  24. perch — for a bird

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