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

Word bank: chip · jam · firm · net · safe · roll · calf · bat

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. roll — a cake
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. roll — a list
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. net — for catching
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. net — in sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. firm — a company
  24. net — after costs

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