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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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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: racket · chip · press · club · ground · clip · mug · wound

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ground — a position
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. club — a group
  9. mug — to rob
  10. clip — for paper
  11. press — to push
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. club — for dancing
  15. press — a publisher
  16. clip — a video
  17. wound — an injury
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. club — for golf
  20. clip — to cut
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mug — a face
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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