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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: rock · calf · swing · staff · clip · pitcher · scale · wave

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. staff — employees
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. clip — for paper
  13. scale — in music
  14. clip — a video
  15. swing — music
  16. clip — to cut
  17. swing — to play on
  18. staff — employees
  19. scale — size or range
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. staff — a stick
  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