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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. kid — child
  11. spell — letters
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. object — to protest
  14. chip — to eat
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fine — all right
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cue — a hint
  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