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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: chair · squash · chip · court · temple · stick · game · calf

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. squash — to crush
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — of law
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. court — of a king
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. court — for sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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