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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.

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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: face · shower · mark · scale · calf · cue · bound · pitch

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bound — certain
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. scale — in music
  10. shower — rain
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bound — tied together
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — a trace

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