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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spring — the season
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spring — of water
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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