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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: cell · dip · chip · track · row · bulb · deal · calf

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. track — a path
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — to handle
  13. track — a song
  14. chip — for betting
  15. row — a line
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. row — to paddle
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — an agreement

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