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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. net — after costs
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — to eat
  7. firm — steady
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. net — in sport
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chip — for betting
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. land — ground
  21. net — for catching
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. firm — decided

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