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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: chip · swing · band · ball · pitcher · cabinet · calf · pop

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — to eat
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. band — a music group
  7. pop — to visit
  8. band — a ring
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ball — a great time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. swing — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — music
  24. chip — for betting

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