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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. chip — to eat
  3. firm — a company
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. net — in sport
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fine — high quality
  12. firm — steady
  13. fine — all right
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. net — after costs
  18. firm — decided

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