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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hand — in cards
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hand — help
  7. date — the fruit
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rest — what's left
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rest — a break
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stock — goods
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rest — what's left
  24. racket — a loud noise

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