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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: calf · foot · wake · field · mark · wave · scale · ball

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ball — a great time
  6. field — for sport
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wake — a trail
  19. scale — in music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. field — farmland
  24. scale — for weighing

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