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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 120 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: dip · bass · scale · calf · mark · rock · file · spring

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. spring — the season
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rock — music
  17. bass — low music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. dip — to sink
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. file — a line of people
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spring — of water
  24. calf — a young animal

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