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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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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: calf · band · ground · rock · scale · rush · wave · racket

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ground — crushed
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rush — hurry
  12. band — a music group
  13. scale — in music
  14. rock — music
  15. band — a ring
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ground — the earth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rock — to move gently

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