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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.

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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: face · season · mark · scale · board · swing · calf · pitcher

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. scale — in music
  5. face — to point toward
  6. board — to get on
  7. season — in sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — a committee
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mark — a trace
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. season — of the year
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. face — part of the head
  24. swing — music

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