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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 116 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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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: ground · kick · rush · fork · suit · game · chip · racket

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fork — in a road
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chip — for betting
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. suit — to fit

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