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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: calf · cue · last · rule · mug · scale · roll · jam

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rule — government
  4. last — finally
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rule — a law
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. roll — a list
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cue — for pool
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mug — a face
  23. roll — a cake
  24. jam — in traffic

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