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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: pitch · toast · rock · root · saw · calf · stock · lash

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. root — the cause
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rock — music
  16. stock — shares
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stock — goods
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. saw — the tool
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sports field

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