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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: season · foot · cap · bass · chip · spring · wound · calf

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. chip — for betting
  3. season — of the year
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — low music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. chip — to eat
  13. season — in sport
  14. cap — a hat
  15. spring — the season
  16. wound — an injury
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cap — a lid

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