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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
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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: pit · firm · sharp · calf · mate · scale · content · board

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. firm — a company
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. firm — steady
  6. mate — to breed
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pit — a hole
  13. board — a committee
  14. mate — a friend
  15. content — happy
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. content — the amount
  19. pit — in a race
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. scale — size or range
  24. firm — decided

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