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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 · scale · club · kick · content · hide · deal · file

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. content — the amount
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. scale — in music
  6. file — a tool
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. content — happy
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. deal — to handle
  20. scale — size or range
  21. kick — in football
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hide — animal skin

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