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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: stock · calf · ball · kick · toast · ground · prune · roll

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. toast — bread
  3. roll — a cake
  4. ball — a dance
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — shares
  16. kick — in football
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ground — a position
  19. roll — a list
  20. stock — goods
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. ball — a round shape

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