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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mark — a trace
  4. roll — a cake
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. club — a group
  8. root — the cause
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. roll — a list
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. toast — bread
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mark — a grade
  18. root — of a plant
  19. club — for golf
  20. root — of a word
  21. saw — the tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pound — to hit hard

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