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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: toast · bat · swing · scale · ruler · drill · wake · calf

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. drill — a practice
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. scale — size or range
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. drill — army training
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. scale — in music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. swing — to play on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. toast — bread
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. swing — in golf
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bat — the animal
  21. swing — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wake — a trail
  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