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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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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: lean · chip · bat · toast · cell · nail · fine · club

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chip — for betting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. club — a group
  7. bat — the animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — all right
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. club — for golf
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — bread
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. lean — thin

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