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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 120 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. current — electric
  8. bound — obliged
  9. current — happening now
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cue — a signal
  12. current — of water
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spring — of water
  15. scale — in music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spring — the season
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bound — certain
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cue — for pool

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