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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: ground · toast · spring · patient · calf · arm · pitcher · rock

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — crushed
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spring — a coil
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spring — of water
  16. ground — the earth
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rock — a stone
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. toast — bread
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ground — a position

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