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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: chip · lash · deal · court · rock · staff · temple · land

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rock — a stone
  4. land — to come down
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. land — ground
  14. chip — to eat
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chip — for betting
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rock — music
  20. court — for sport
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. land — a country
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. staff — employees

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