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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 116 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: root · stick · pop · net · pitcher · calf · hand · spell

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. net — in sport
  4. spell — a short time
  5. hand — help
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — for catching
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. net — after costs
  17. pop — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pop — to visit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. root — of a word
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. root — the cause

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