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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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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: dip · lash · club · chip · racket · key · deal · foot

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. key — for a lock
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. chip — to eat
  6. deal — to handle
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. club — a group
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. key — the most important part
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chip — in a computer

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