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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: chip · wave · kick · board · cue · degree · calf · mine

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mine — for digging
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chip — for betting
  11. board — to get on
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. kick — in football
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cue — for pool

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