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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: last · mouse · chip · racket · bat · fan · lie · stock

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lie — to recline
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stock — shares
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — finally
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stock — goods
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. last — to go on
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. last — final

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