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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: foot · calf · bowl · racket · cold · net · fork · scale

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cold — not warm
  3. scale — size or range
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cold — an illness
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. net — in sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — in music
  16. net — after costs
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. net — for catching
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bowl — a football final
  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