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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: toast · straw · hide · calf · content · root · pop · pitch

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. root — the cause
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. root — of a plant
  6. content — the amount
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. root — of a word
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pop — to visit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pop — soda
  15. toast — bread
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pop — music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — happy
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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