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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: leaves · deal · net · object · chip · ground · kid · suit

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ground — crushed
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. chip — to eat
  6. object — to protest
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. net — after costs
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. kid — child
  12. suit — to fit
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. object — an aim
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. net — for catching
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. object — a thing

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