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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. swing — music
  4. chip — to eat
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chip — for betting
  7. hand — help
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. toast — bread
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. swing — in golf
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pitch — completely
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — to play on

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