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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 · cue · safe · mate · field · scale · cell · board

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cue — a signal
  6. field — a subject
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — for sport
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mate — to breed
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. field — farmland
  14. board — to get on
  15. scale — size or range
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — a committee
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mate — a partner
  22. scale — in music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cell — in biology

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