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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. staff — a stick
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. staff — employees
  5. charge — a price
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mine — for digging
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ground — a position
  15. charge — electricity
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. staff — employees
  18. kid — to tease
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — in control
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kid — child
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. calf — a young animal

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