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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — a position
  4. chip — for betting
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. band — a ring
  7. craft — a skill
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ground — crushed
  10. craft — boats
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. band — a music group
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hand — help
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — to eat

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