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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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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: shower · chair · calf · chip · toast · bank · kid · racket

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. shower — to wash
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chair — a leader
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. shower — rain
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. kid — to tease
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chip — for betting
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. chip — to eat
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bank — of a river
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bank — for money
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. toast — bread
  22. kid — child
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bank — for money

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