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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: date · deal · lash · chip · scale · arm · bank · bat

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. scale — in music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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