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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: pop · bore · deal · fine · mark · safe · snap · net

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. net — in sport
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. net — after costs
  6. fine — all right
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. deal — to handle
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pop — soda
  15. mark — a trace
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. net — for catching
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pop — music
  24. fine — a penalty

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