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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.

Words on the sheet
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: mug · chip · cell · fan · row · stand · bat · calf

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. row — a line
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cell — in biology
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mug — a cup
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stand — to bear
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. calf — of the leg

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