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

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. chip — to eat
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. toast — bread
  7. net — for catching
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. club — for golf
  13. kick — in football
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. chip — for betting
  18. sharp — clever
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. club — a group
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. shower — rain
  23. net — after costs
  24. club — for dancing

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