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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 120 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 · hand · cabinet · bound · bowl · arm · race · calf

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hand — help
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. chip — for betting
  6. race — a contest
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bound — obliged
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. race — the arms race
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bound — certain
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bound — tied together
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chip — to eat
  23. race — humankind
  24. bowl — to roll

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