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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ground — crushed
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lean — thin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. ground — the earth
  9. game — a match
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — to bend
  13. present — there
  14. ground — a position
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. present — the time now
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. present — a gift

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