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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — in football
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. object — an aim
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. date — the fruit
  21. object — to protest
  22. chip — to eat
  23. object — a thing
  24. date — on the calendar

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