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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. land — to come down
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mate — a friend
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. key — in music
  21. mate — a partner
  22. key — the most important part
  23. club — for dancing
  24. nail — for a hammer

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