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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. object — a thing
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pound — a weight
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. game — wild animals
  12. net — in sport
  13. branch — a division
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. object — an aim
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chip — for betting
  22. object — to protest
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ruler — for measuring

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