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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: mine · scale · chip · racket · rock · calf · bass · staff

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. scale — in music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. staff — employees
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. staff — employees
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bass — low music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bass — the fish
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rock — music

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