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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: key · present · chip · calf · rule · pound · ball · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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. present — the time now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. key — in music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. present — there
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. present — a gift
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rule — to rule out

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