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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · net · safe · shower · deal · chip · pitch · present

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitch — completely
  5. deal — to handle
  6. net — for catching
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. shower — rain
  9. present — a gift
  10. shower — to wash
  11. net — in sport
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. present — there
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mine — for digging
  18. net — after costs
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. present — the time now
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pitch — a sports field

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