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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · club · nail · ball · mate · lash · chip · land

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. present — there
  5. land — to come down
  6. ball — a dance
  7. club — for dancing
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. club — for golf
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mate — a friend
  13. land — a country
  14. mate — to breed
  15. chip — to eat
  16. land — ground
  17. present — the time now
  18. club — a group
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mate — a partner
  23. present — a gift
  24. nail — for a hammer

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