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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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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bat — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. hide — to keep secret

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