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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: chip · firm · bay · season · leaves · pound · race · calf

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chip — to eat
  14. race — humankind
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. season — in sport
  19. chip — for betting
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. season — of the year
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. leaves — to go away

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