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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. chip — to eat
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pop — to visit
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pop — soda
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ground — a position
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bear — the animal

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