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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ball — a great time
  8. file — a document
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. net — in sport
  16. file — a tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ball — a dance
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fork — in a road

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