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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: deal · prune · bay · staff · calf · ground · bear · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. prune — to trim
  9. staff — employees
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. squash — the sport
  15. deal — to handle
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ground — a position
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. prune — to trim

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