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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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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: mouse · content · face · lie · drill · racket · chip · ground

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — the tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. ground — crushed
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ground — a position
  15. drill — a practice
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — to confront
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chip — for betting
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — happy
  24. drill — army training

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