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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: can · ball · calf · row · scale · clip · mate · cabinet

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. clip — to cut
  7. row — to paddle
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mate — to breed
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ball — a dance
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. can — a tin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — a line
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mate — a friend
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — a partner

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