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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: chip · calf · branch · kick · rest · club · pit · snap

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rest — what's left
  3. club — for dancing
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rest — a break
  6. kick — in football
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chip — to eat
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. branch — a division
  19. pit — in a race
  20. club — a group
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. branch — of a bank

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