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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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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: date · club · cap · calf · chip · content · bowl · prune

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chip — to eat
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. club — for golf
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. club — a group
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. club — for dancing
  20. prune — to trim
  21. content — happy
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. content — the amount

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