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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chip · lie · stand · saw · racket · game · key · pop

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stand — to bear
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pop — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. game — wild animals
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pop — to visit
  14. game — a match
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chip — for betting
  23. key — in music
  24. pop — soda

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