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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: root · pitch · ball · bark · calf · straw · toast · fine

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. toast — bread
  4. root — the cause
  5. fine — high quality
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ball — a great time
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fine — all right
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. calf — of the leg

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