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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: wind · mark · date · toast · calf · rash · board · racket

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mark — a grade
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. toast — bread
  9. board — to get on
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. date — the fruit
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rash — a series
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. board — a committee
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. calf — a young animal

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