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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rock — music
  4. craft — boats
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rock — a stone
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. lash — an eyelash

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