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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · deal · cabinet · march · club · bat · lash · toast

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. toast — bread
  4. march — the month
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — for golf
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — a group
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. chip — for betting
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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