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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: chip · ground · suit · kick · hand · kid · mug · can

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. can — a tin
  3. mug — a face
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kid — child
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mug — to rob
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ground — crushed
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ground — a position
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — to eat
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kid — to tease
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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