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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: net · nail · sharp · pop · chip · hand · file · bear

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. chip — for betting
  5. hand — help
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pop — music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. net — in sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. net — for catching
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hand — in cards
  16. file — a tool
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. net — after costs
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — the animal

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