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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: ground · chip · bore · roll · suit · racket · dip · file

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chip — for betting
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ground — the earth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ground — a position
  9. file — a tool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. file — a document
  13. roll — a cake
  14. dip — to sink
  15. suit — to fit
  16. roll — a list
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. suit — clothes
  19. file — a line of people
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. racket — a loud noise

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