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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. object — to protest
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. court — of a king
  8. season — in sport
  9. court — for sport
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. object — an aim
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chip — to eat
  17. court — of law
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. object — a thing
  20. season — of the year
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. season — to add flavour

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