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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 · cue · coach · court · file · ball · fine · calf

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. court — of law
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. file — a tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. ball — a dance
  24. court — of a king

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