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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 116 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 · tube · present · scale · ruler · mate · club · prune

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mate — a friend
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. present — there
  11. club — for golf
  12. mate — to breed
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — a group
  15. present — the time now
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. present — a gift
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mate — a partner
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — a container

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