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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: bay · press · chip · scale · racket · ground · patient · fall

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. press — a publisher
  9. scale — in music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. press — to push
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. scale — size or range
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fall — the season

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