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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: lash · ball · chip · game · leaves · bark · craft · net

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. net — in sport
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ball — a great time
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — for catching
  14. chip — to eat
  15. game — wild animals
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chip — for betting
  18. game — a match
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. craft — boats
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. net — after costs
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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