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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: fine · chip · hand · hide · net · racket · rash · cue

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. net — for catching
  9. cue — a signal
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — for pool
  12. hand — help
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rash — a series
  19. net — after costs
  20. fine — all right
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chip — for betting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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