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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chip — to eat
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kid — child
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. season — of the year
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rash — a series
  24. hide — animal skin

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