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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: racket · suit · craft · chip · wound · press · bat · march

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. march — music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bat — the animal
  8. press — to push
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chip — to eat
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wound — an injury
  14. march — the month
  15. suit — to fit
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — a skill
  18. suit — in cards
  19. craft — boats
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. press — newspapers
  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