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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. club — a group
  4. deal — to handle
  5. sharp — clever
  6. chip — for betting
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. club — for dancing
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bass — low music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. club — for golf
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chip — to eat
  24. file — a document

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