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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
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: scale · leaves · jam · calf · march · staff · kick · bat

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. scale — in music
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. staff — a stick
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. kick — in football
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — the month
  23. scale — size or range
  24. march — the month

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