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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. land — ground
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. band — a music group
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. land — to come down
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. swing — music
  18. band — a ring
  19. land — a country
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chip — for betting

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