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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: land · calf · jam · kid · chip · current · game · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. current — happening now
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chip — for betting
  7. land — a country
  8. kid — to tease
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. current — electric
  14. staff — a stick
  15. game — wild animals
  16. land — to come down
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chip — to eat
  19. land — ground
  20. current — of water
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. kid — child
  23. game — a match
  24. calf — a young animal

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