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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitch — completely
  8. current — electric
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. current — happening now
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cell — a phone
  15. chip — for betting
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — of water

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