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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: last · deal · land · chip · temple · rock · foot · net

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. last — finally
  5. land — a country
  6. rock — music
  7. chip — to eat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. rock — a stone
  14. net — in sport
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. net — after costs
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. deal — to handle
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. net — for catching
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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