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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — a country
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pop — music
  5. land — to come down
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mine — for digging
  8. can — to be able to
  9. charge — a price
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — to visit
  15. land — ground
  16. bass — low music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. can — a tin
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pop — soda
  23. charge — in control
  24. chip — for betting

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