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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: scale · cell · lash · pitch · rush · key · calf · club

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cell — a phone
  5. scale — in music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. scale — size or range
  13. key — in music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. key — the most important part
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. club — a group
  19. cell — in biology
  20. club — for golf
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rush — to hurry
  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