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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ground — a position
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rush — hurry
  6. chip — for betting
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bound — certain
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bass — low music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cap — a hat
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ground — the earth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ground — crushed

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