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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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468
Word bank
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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: snap · club · patient · scale · ground · chip · rash · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. snap — to click
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ground — the earth
  5. scale — size or range
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. club — a group
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ground — a position
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. club — for golf
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rash — a series

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