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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · racket · stand · calf · chip · patient

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. club — a group
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stand — to bear
  14. club — for golf
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. racket — for tennis

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