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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: ground · snap · racket · rock · rash · chair · mine · calf

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rock — music
  7. chair — a leader
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. snap — to click
  16. rock — a stone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ground — a position
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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