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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 120 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: calf · scale · bat · bay · wound · can · row · court

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. can — a tin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. court — of law
  9. wound — an injury
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wound — an injury
  14. court — for sport
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. row — a line
  17. scale — in music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. scale — size or range
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. court — of a king

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