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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.

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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: calf · kick · board · race · bowl · scale · mate · cell

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. scale — in music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mate — a friend
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. board — a committee
  13. race — a contest
  14. kick — in football
  15. mate — a partner
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. board — to get on
  20. cell — in biology
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  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