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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
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: ground · tube · chip · land · dip · straw · racket · present

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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 — in a computer
  2. present — the time now
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ground — a position
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. land — ground
  7. tube — the underground
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chip — to eat
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. present — there
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tube — a container
  17. land — to come down
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — to sink
  20. present — a gift
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. land — a country
  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