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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · tube · scale · mine · wave · calf · stick · board

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. board — to get on
  3. game — wild animals
  4. tube — the underground
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. board — a committee
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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