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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. chip — for betting
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bear — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. race — the arms race
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. net — for catching
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. race — humankind
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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