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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 120 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: chip · degree · lash · plane · cap · staff · calf · court

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chip — for betting
  3. degree — temperature
  4. chip — to eat
  5. degree — an amount
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. staff — employees
  12. court — for sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — of law
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. degree — from a university
  18. staff — a stick
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. court — of a king
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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