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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pop — soda
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. kid — to tease
  11. hand — help
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kid — child
  16. pop — music
  17. ground — a position
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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