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

Word bank: toast · game · tear · racket · bear · calf · pitcher · chip

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — to eat
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. chip — for betting
  18. toast — bread
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. game — a match
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tear — from crying

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