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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: pit · row · stick · calf · wind · rush · can · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pit — a hole
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wind — moving air
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wind — moving air
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. can — a tin
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. row — a line
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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