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

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. net — for catching
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fall — to drop
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fork — in a road
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitch — completely
  10. spring — of water
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — for betting
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spring — the season

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