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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: club · rest · degree · hand · calf · scale · key · mark

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. club — a group
  12. rest — a break
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. hand — help
  18. club — for golf
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. hand — in cards
  22. degree — temperature
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rest — what's left

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