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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 120 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: hand · rock · deal · chip · ground · pop · racket · firm

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ground — a position
  6. firm — a company
  7. hand — help
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rock — music
  15. firm — decided
  16. chip — for betting
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chip — to eat
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rock — a stone
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pop — music
  23. ground — the earth
  24. firm — steady

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