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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 120 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: bat · sharp · wave · calf · chip · foot · racket · pound

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bat — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pound — a weight
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. chip — for betting
  9. foot — a measure
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chip — to eat
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. sharp — exactly

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