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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: row · bay · chip · wind · racket · club · calf · cap

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chip — for betting
  4. club — a group
  5. cap — of ice
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chip — to eat
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — to paddle
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. row — a line
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cap — a lid
  24. club — for golf

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