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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · ball · pitcher · board · chip · calf · mine · kick

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. board — to get on
  6. mine — for digging
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. board — a committee
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a great time
  19. kick — in football
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ball — a dance
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. degree — an amount

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