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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: season · ground · staff · scale · calf · chip · rock · clip

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chip — to eat
  10. season — in sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. scale — size or range
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rock — a stone
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rock — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. ground — a position
  24. clip — a video

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