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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 · pit · toast · club · rest · sharp · chair · root

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. root — the cause
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. club — for dancing
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rest — what's left
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — a group
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. toast — 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