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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. content — the amount
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. staff — employees
  8. suit — clothes
  9. chip — for betting
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chip — to eat
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — help
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. staff — employees
  18. suit — in cards
  19. row — a line
  20. content — happy
  21. row — to paddle
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. staff — a stick

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