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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: calf · bass · chip · field · kick · staff · deal · mouse

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. kick — in football
  5. bass — low music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. bass — the fish
  10. deal — to handle
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. field — for sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. calf — of the leg

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