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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pop — music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bulb — for light
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chip — for betting
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pop — soda
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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