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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · date · scale · cabinet · pit · fan · mouse · straw

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. scale — in music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. date — the fruit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. scale — size or range
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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