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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. present — the time now
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. land — a country
  8. can — a tin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — to come down
  12. net — for catching
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. land — ground
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. hand — help
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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