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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tube — a container
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. game — a match
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fine — all right
  14. chip — for betting
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. game — wild animals
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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