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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.

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: face · scale · club · pop · calf · ruler · cell · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. club — for golf
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. club — a group
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pop — music
  19. club — for dancing
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pop — soda
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. face — to confront
  24. cell — a phone

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