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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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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: ball · lie · deal · net · squash · pit · chip · toast

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — in sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. chip — for betting
  12. net — after costs
  13. ball — a dance
  14. net — for catching
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pit — in a race
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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