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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 120 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
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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: mine · net · fan · arm · fine · mark · chip · straw

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fine — high quality
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mark — a grade
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mark — a trace
  18. net — for catching
  19. fine — all right
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chip — for betting

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