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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · rest · date · spring · capital · mug · board · calf

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chip — to eat
  6. spring — the season
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mug — to rob
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rest — what's left
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. board — a committee
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. board — to get on
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. capital — money
  20. spring — of water
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. date — the fruit
  24. capital — a big letter

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