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

Word bank: calf · object · pitch · snap · bark · race · toast · drill

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. race — a contest
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. toast — bread
  7. pitch — completely
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. drill — army training
  14. race — the arms race
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. object — an aim
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. object — a thing
  20. race — humankind
  21. snap — to click
  22. drill — the tool
  23. object — to protest
  24. bark — to shout

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