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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: squash · prune · pitcher · calf · current · last · staff · bowl

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. last — final
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. current — happening now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. last — finally
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — to crush
  15. current — of water
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — electric
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. staff — a stick
  20. last — to go on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. calf — a young animal

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