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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: staff · calf · ball · stick · pound · toast · shower · chair

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. toast — bread
  10. chair — a leader
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ball — a great time
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. staff — employees
  24. pound — for dogs

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