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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · foot · scale · net · snap · sharp · chip · cue

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — in music
  3. net — after costs
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. date — the fruit
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cue — for pool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. snap — to click
  10. net — for catching
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chip — for betting
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cue — a hint
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. net — in sport
  20. cue — a signal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chip — to eat

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