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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 116 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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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: cell · chip · stick · bear · cue · ground · racket · current

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ground — a position
  3. cue — a hint
  4. current — electric
  5. chip — for betting
  6. current — of water
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bear — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cell — in biology
  18. current — happening now
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cell — a phone
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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