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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. chip — to eat
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. row — a line
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. key — for a lock
  12. staff — employees
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. key — in music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. row — to paddle
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. present — there
  24. calf — of the leg

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