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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: calf · spell · swing · toast · prune · current · pitch · date

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. swing — music
  8. spell — magic
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. toast — bread
  16. swing — in golf
  17. spell — letters
  18. swing — to play on
  19. date — the fruit
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. current — electric
  23. pitch — completely
  24. current — of water

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