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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: bat · rule · calf · chip · present · chair · row · degree

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. row — to paddle
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rule — government
  7. present — the time now
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. present — a gift
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chair — a leader
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. present — there
  20. row — a line
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rule — a law

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