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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spring — of water
  5. cue — a signal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bore — to tire
  18. spring — a coil

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