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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: calf · key · rush · prune · scale · firm · pop · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. firm — decided
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — a company
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. prune — to trim
  11. key — the most important part
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pop — soda
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. firm — steady
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pop — music
  22. scale — in music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — in 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