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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: scale · bass · calf · field · court · ball · mark · wake

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. court — of a king
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bass — low music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. court — of law
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. field — for sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. field — farmland
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ball — a great time
  21. court — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. scale — in music

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