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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: fall · calf · deal · saw · fork · charge · jam · scale

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. scale — size or range
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. scale — in music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. deal — to handle
  14. saw — the tool
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. charge — in control
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. charge — a price
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fall — to drop

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