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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: pound · bark · nail · suit · chip · spring · calf · club

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chip — to eat
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spring — the season
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. suit — clothes
  15. club — a group
  16. spring — of water
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. chip — for betting
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — in cards

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