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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: pass · fine · scale · file · hand · court · calf · mug

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. file — a document
  4. court — of law
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fine — high quality
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. file — a tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — of a king
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fine — all right
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. file — a line of people
  23. scale — in music
  24. calf — of the leg

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