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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: calf · object · land · scale · toast · hand · cell · bowl

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. object — an aim
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. cell — a phone
  10. hand — help
  11. land — to come down
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. scale — in music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cell — in biology
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. object — to protest
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. toast — bread
  23. land — a country
  24. object — a thing

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