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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. net — for catching
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. land — a country
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. land — to come down
  12. net — in sport
  13. rest — a break
  14. sharp — clever
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. land — ground
  18. rest — what's left

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