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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: plane · root · calf · press · chip · ground · jam · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chip — for betting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. root — of a word
  8. press — a publisher
  9. ground — the earth
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. toast — bread
  14. ground — a position
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. root — the cause
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. plane — a tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ground — crushed
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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