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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: pass · calf · bowl · root · track · shower · racket · toast

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — of a plant
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. root — the cause
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. track — a song
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. shower — rain
  15. toast — bread
  16. track — a path
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — to keep track
  19. root — of a word
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pass — a permit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. racket — a loud noise

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