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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. chip — for betting
  5. season — in sport
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bass — low music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. season — of the year
  11. staff — employees
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. swing — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — the fish
  18. degree — temperature
  19. swing — in golf
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chip — to eat
  23. staff — employees
  24. season — to add flavour

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