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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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Word bank
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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: chip · hide · pass · kid · racket · sharp

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. kid — to tease
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — child
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chip — to eat
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chip — for betting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. chip — in a computer
  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