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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.

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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.

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: key · racket · land · scale · calf · field · rest · dip

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. key — the most important part
  3. field — a subject
  4. land — to come down
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rest — a break
  16. dip — to sink
  17. land — a country
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. scale — in music
  20. land — ground
  21. field — farmland
  22. rest — what's left
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. calf — of the leg

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