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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. net — for catching
  8. pop — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chip — to eat
  14. net — after costs
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. chest — a box
  22. pop — soda
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. net — in sport

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