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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: calf · chip · season · stick · pit · cell · content · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cell — in biology
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. chip — to eat
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. content — happy

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