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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chip — to eat
  3. scale — in music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rule — government
  17. season — in sport
  18. date — the fruit
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rule — a law

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