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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: ball · squash · deal · bat · calf · chip · net · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bat — the animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — to crush
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. net — after costs
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. season — of the year
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. net — in sport

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