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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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 · pitcher · stick · scale · squash · mine · suit · swing

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — to play on
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. swing — in golf
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mine — for digging
  10. squash — to crush
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. scale — in music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. suit — clothes
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. swing — music
  24. calf — a young animal

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