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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: mouse · key · date · net · lash · chip · tube · can

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. key — for a lock
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — in music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. net — for catching
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. net — after costs
  15. can — to be able to
  16. key — the most important part
  17. net — in sport
  18. tube — a container
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. can — a tin
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tube — the underground
  24. date — on the calendar

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