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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 · net · object · dip · club · hand · bay · fork

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chip — to eat
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. dip — to sink
  11. chip — for betting
  12. club — a group
  13. object — a thing
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. net — for catching
  16. object — an aim
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fork — in a road
  20. hand — in cards
  21. object — to protest
  22. hand — help
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. club — for golf

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