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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 116 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: field · calf · chip · board · fork · bay · snap · leaves

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. board — a committee
  4. field — for sport
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. field — farmland
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. field — a subject
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. board — to get on
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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