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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 120 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: stick · land · stand · spell · ground · racket · degree · chip

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ground — a position
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — a short time
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ground — crushed
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — a country
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. chip — for betting
  17. land — ground
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ground — the earth
  20. land — to come down
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stand — to bear
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stand — on your feet

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