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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: calf · row · swing · scale · ground · cell · tube · mate

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cell — in biology
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ground — the earth
  8. scale — in music
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cell — a phone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. scale — size or range
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. mate — to breed
  16. swing — music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. scale — for weighing

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