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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.

Make a worksheet

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: calf · scale · racket · lean · sharp · ground · row · fork

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. row — to paddle
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. scale — in music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — thin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. row — a line
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ground — the earth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fork — in a road
  24. ground — a position

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