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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: face · mouse · net · squash · racket · chip · craft · chest

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. craft — a skill
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chest — of your body
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chest — a box
  12. net — for catching
  13. squash — to crush
  14. face — part of the head
  15. net — after costs
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. craft — boats
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. face — to confront
  24. craft — a handicraft

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