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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: pass · scale · wake · rock · hand · calf · prune · mate

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rock — music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. hand — in cards
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mate — a friend
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hand — help
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mate — to breed
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rock — a stone
  24. scale — size or range

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