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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: calf · bay · chip · ground · tube · kick · mine · fine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ground — crushed
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. kick — in football
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ground — a position
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — all right

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