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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: lash · snap · bat · net · chip · ball · cabinet · pit

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. snap — to click
  11. ball — a great time
  12. net — for catching
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. chip — for betting
  21. net — after costs
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pit — in a race

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