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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. last — to go on
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. net — in sport
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chip — for betting
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. degree — an amount
  15. net — for catching
  16. pound — a weight
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chip — to eat
  19. net — after costs
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. snap — to click
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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