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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.

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: roll · ground · chip · game · swing · fine · cap · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. roll — a list
  10. chip — to eat
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — crushed
  14. swing — music
  15. ground — a position
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fine — high quality
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ground — the earth
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. chip — for betting
  23. swing — in golf
  24. roll — a cake

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