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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · calf · craft · game · tube · mine · chair · chip

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. drill — army training
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. tube — the underground
  12. game — a match
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. craft — boats
  16. tube — a container
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chair — a leader
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. craft — a skill
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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