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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: racket · mark · ground · land · rock · lean · deal · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. ground — a position
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. land — ground
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mark — a trace
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lean — thin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. land — to come down
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. land — a country
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. lean — to rest against

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