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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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. present — the time now
  4. root — the cause
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ground — a position
  7. tear — to rip
  8. present — there
  9. tear — from crying
  10. root — of a plant
  11. present — a gift
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. root — of a word
  19. ground — crushed
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mark — a grade
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chip — to eat

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