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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · chest · racket · chip · ball · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cell — a phone
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cell — in biology
  12. chest — a box
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. chest — of your body
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. racket — for tennis

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