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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
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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: court · scale · fan · calf · spell · ball · roll · shower

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. shower — rain
  11. roll — a cake
  12. spell — letters
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spell — magic
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ball — a dance
  19. court — of law
  20. scale — in music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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