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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. chip — for betting
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chip — to eat
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. firm — decided
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. band — a music group
  15. firm — steady
  16. band — a ring
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. net — after costs
  21. firm — a company
  22. net — in sport
  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