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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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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 · calf · rock · kid · court · object · field · tear

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rock — a stone
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. object — a thing
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. field — a subject
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. tear — from crying
  13. object — an aim
  14. kid — child
  15. chip — to eat
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — music
  18. court — of law
  19. object — to protest
  20. chip — for betting
  21. court — for sport
  22. kid — to tease
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — of a king

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