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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: ruler · row · snap · chip · chair · calf · tube · club

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chair — a leader
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. club — a group
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chip — for betting
  10. club — for golf
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — to paddle
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tube — the underground
  21. snap — to click
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. row — a line
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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