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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lean — thin
  3. net — in sport
  4. chest — of your body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. club — for golf
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chest — a box
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — after costs
  16. club — for dancing
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. club — a group
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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