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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: current · calf · chest · date · chip · ground · racket · pit

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. date — the fruit
  3. ground — a position
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ground — crushed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. current — of water
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. current — happening now
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pit — in a race
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. current — electric
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chip — for betting
  24. racket — for tennis

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