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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: bore · chip · chest · bulb · season · pitcher · calf · squash

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to tire
  12. season — in sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chest — a box
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — of your body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bulb — for light

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