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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: ground · club · mouse · temple · row · chip · mark · racket

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. club — for dancing
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — a group
  15. ground — crushed
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. row — a line
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ground — a position
  23. club — for golf
  24. mouse — the animal

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