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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: pitch · calf · spell · plane · toast · rock · branch · roll

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. plane — a tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rock — a stone
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. spell — a short time
  14. roll — a cake
  15. branch — a division
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. roll — a list
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. spell — letters
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rock — music

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