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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 120 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: ball · calf · scale · tear · drill · temple · stock · key

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. key — in music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. tear — from crying
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tear — from crying
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stock — goods
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ball — a dance
  15. scale — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. ball — a great time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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