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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: spring · calf · shower · chip · mug · pound · row · kick

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mug — a face
  5. kick — in football
  6. spring — the season
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. row — to paddle
  9. spring — a coil
  10. row — a line
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mug — to rob
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mug — a cup
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. shower — to wash
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. shower — rain
  22. spring — of water
  23. pound — a weight
  24. calf — a young animal

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