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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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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. present — there
  3. rush — hurry
  4. present — a gift
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. plane — a tool
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. scale — in music
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. scale — size or range
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. date — the fruit

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