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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 116 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 · staff · racket · tear · fine · calf · club · cell

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tear — from crying
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. club — a group
  5. fine — all right
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cell — a phone
  11. staff — employees
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fine — high quality
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cell — in biology
  16. chip — to eat
  17. club — for golf
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. tear — from crying
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cell — in a prison

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