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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. kick — in football
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. board — to get on
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kick — a thrill

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