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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bank — for money
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. content — happy
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — the amount
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chip — to eat
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal

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