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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: bank · chair · toast · racket · bowl · calf · field · hand

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. field — farmland
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. field — for sport
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bank — for money
  17. field — a subject
  18. chair — a leader
  19. toast — bread
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bank — of a river
  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