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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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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: root · squash · mine · key · calf · kid · date · chip

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. key — the most important part
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. root — of a word
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mine — for digging
  16. squash — to crush
  17. kid — child
  18. key — in music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. root — the cause
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. key — for a lock
  23. date — the fruit
  24. calf — a young animal

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