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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.

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: key · game · calf · mouse · scale · stem · mate · bore

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. game — a match
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. scale — in music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. key — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mate — to breed
  23. key — for a lock
  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