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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 116 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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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: rash · calf · field · scale · staff · chip · last · bound

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bound — certain
  3. field — a subject
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. last — final
  7. scale — size or range
  8. field — for sport
  9. last — to go on
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. chip — to eat
  12. staff — a stick
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. last — finally
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. field — farmland
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. chip — for betting
  22. staff — employees
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bound — tied together

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