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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · staff · chip · racket · ground · tube · content · track

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. staff — employees
  3. ground — the earth
  4. content — happy
  5. track — a path
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ground — crushed
  12. content — the amount
  13. chip — for betting
  14. staff — a stick
  15. track — a song
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tube — a container
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fall — to drop

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