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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chip — to eat
  7. swing — in golf
  8. track — to keep track
  9. swing — music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. scale — in music
  12. ground — a position
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. track — a song
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chip — for betting
  20. track — a path
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ground — the earth
  24. hand — in cards

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