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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: mouse · chip · snap · suit · ground · lean · court · wind

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. snap — to click
  9. court — of a king
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ground — a position
  13. lean — thin
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lean — to bend
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. court — for sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. court — of law

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