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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: fork · ball · arm · object · fall · chip · last · calf

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a dance
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. last — final
  17. chip — to eat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ball — a great time
  20. object — a thing
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. object — to protest

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