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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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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. net — in sport
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. net — after costs
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. key — the most important part
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. key — in music
  23. net — for catching
  24. key — for a lock

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