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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: bowl · pitcher · calf · ground · jam · stem · rush · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stem — to come from
  11. toast — bread
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitcher — a jug

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