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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 were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. sharp — clever
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. game — a match
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kid — child
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stock — goods
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stock — shares
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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