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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — wild animals
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rash — a series
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — a match
  19. rash — hasty
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. object — an aim
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. chip — to eat

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