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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 120 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: kid · calf · bass · tube · ruler · cap · game · scale

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bass — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kid — child
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. tube — the underground
  15. kid — to tease
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. tube — a container
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. game — a match
  21. cap — of ice
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bass — low music
  24. calf — a young animal

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