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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 116 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: ball · chip · rush · racket · bowl · cell · hand · ground

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hand — help
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rush — hurry
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ball — a great time
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rush — to hurry

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