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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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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: firm · ground · cell · wake · kid · kick · mug · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. cell — a phone
  6. kid — to tease
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. chip — to eat
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mug — a face
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mug — to rob
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chip — for betting
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. firm — decided
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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