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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. can — a tin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fork — in a road
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fork — a garden tool

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