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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 116 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: can · fine · charge · saw · net · snap · stick · ball

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a dance
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — to be able to
  11. snap — to click
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fine — all right
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. net — in sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — high quality
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. charge — electricity

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