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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 116 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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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: pit · cue · content · calf · scale · swing · stick · dip

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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. calf — a young animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pit — in a race
  9. swing — music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. scale — size or range
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. dip — to sink
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cue — a signal
  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