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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: land · chip · object · cabinet · net · cell · mate · bay

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mate — a partner
  10. net — for catching
  11. land — to come down
  12. object — a thing
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. object — an aim
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. object — to protest
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cell — a phone

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