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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: scale · fan · calf · staff · bat · mark · pitcher · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bat — the animal
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. staff — a stick
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. staff — employees
  12. scale — in music
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. staff — employees
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fan — to cool the air

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