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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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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: snap · jam · calf · wind · bark · toast · roll · pitch

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bark — to shout
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. roll — a list
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. pitch — completely
  24. toast — bread

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