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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: racket · cell · stick · chip · pit · rule · hand · mark

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rule — government
  9. hand — in cards
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rule — a law
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hand — help
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cell — a phone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chip — in a computer

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