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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: field · calf · vault · bark · jam · squash · bear · toast

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. field — for sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. field — farmland
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bear — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. field — a subject
  22. toast — bread
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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