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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spring — of water
  7. band — a ring
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bound — certain
  15. spring — the season
  16. game — a match
  17. bound — tied together
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a music group

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