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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. current — happening now
  8. branch — a division
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — child
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kick — in football
  17. bore — to tire
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bore — to drill
  21. current — electric
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. branch — of a tree

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