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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. vault — a safe
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chip — to eat
  11. date — the fruit
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. sharp — clever
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. net — after costs
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. snap — to click
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. net — for catching
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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