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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: deal · calf · root · march · chest · chip · present · firm

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. march — the month
  3. present — there
  4. firm — a company
  5. chest — a box
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chip — for betting
  9. firm — decided
  10. chest — of your body
  11. root — the cause
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — of a word
  14. present — the time now
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — music
  19. deal — to handle
  20. firm — steady
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. present — a gift
  24. march — the month

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