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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: court · band · pitcher · kick · chip · leaves · ground · foot

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. ground — a position
  11. foot — a measure
  12. court — of a king
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. kick — in football
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. court — of law
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. court — for sport

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