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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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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 · racket · bank · bore · scale · bear · bat · fork

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. scale — in music
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bore — gave birth

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