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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: calf · chip · sharp · bowl · present · can · bat · tube

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chip — to eat
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. can — a tin
  7. tube — a container
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tube — the underground
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chip — for betting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. present — the time now
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. calf — of the leg

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