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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. net — for catching
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — after costs
  7. bass — the fish
  8. firm — decided
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lean — thin
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lean — to bend
  15. firm — a company
  16. rest — what's left
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bass — low music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — a break
  23. net — in sport
  24. lean — to rest against

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