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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: rule · net · foot · chip · pop · dip · last · sharp

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. foot — a measure
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. last — to go on
  5. pop — soda
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pop — to visit
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chip — to eat
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rule — government
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. last — final
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. net — in sport
  16. sharp — clever
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. last — finally
  22. net — after costs
  23. pop — music
  24. rule — a law

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