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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. land — ground
  3. mate — a partner
  4. can — a tin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. face — to confront
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. face — to point toward
  14. court — for sport
  15. land — a country
  16. court — of a king
  17. craft — boats
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. court — of law
  22. can — to be able to
  23. land — to come down
  24. can — a tin

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