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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ground — crushed
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ground — the earth
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ground — a position
  10. kick — in football
  11. press — newspapers
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — to push
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chest — of your body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — a publisher
  24. deal — a big deal

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