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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: present · foot · drill · sharp · chip · season · calf · staff

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. season — in sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. drill — the tool
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. present — there
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — for betting
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. staff — employees
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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