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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: mouse · ground · chip · squash · bay · net · hand · rock

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chip — for betting
  4. net — in sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ground — a position
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hand — help
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ground — crushed
  13. net — for catching
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. net — after costs
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mouse — for a computer

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