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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · ball · pitcher · present · bark · pop · calf · rock

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ball — a dance
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pop — soda
  8. spell — a short time
  9. present — there
  10. spell — magic
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. present — a gift
  13. pop — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. present — the time now
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spell — letters
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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