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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: racket · fan · bear · band · pitcher · chip · staff · mark

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. band — a ring
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — a trace
  15. band — a music group
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bear — the animal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chip — to eat
  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