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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ground — a position
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. kick — in football
  9. hand — in cards
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — crushed

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