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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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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 · racket · degree · wind · dip · chip · stick · cabinet

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — a position
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — to sink
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. degree — an amount
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cabinet — ministers

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