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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: game · jam · craft · foot · ground · chip · calf · object

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. game — wild animals
  3. foot — a measure
  4. ground — the earth
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. craft — a skill
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. object — to protest
  9. craft — boats
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. object — an aim
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. object — a thing
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — a match

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