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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. face — to confront
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for golf
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. date — the fruit
  12. chip — to eat
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chip — for betting
  17. club — for dancing
  18. face — to point toward
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. club — a group
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. racket — for tennis

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