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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: ball · jam · spell · bore · chip · calf · staff · suit

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bore — to drill
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. staff — employees
  17. suit — clothes
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — for betting
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ball — a great time
  24. suit — in cards

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