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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. current — of water
  5. cue — a hint
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rest — a break
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cue — for pool

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