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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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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: club · safe · lean · firm · spell · content · net · sharp

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. net — after costs
  4. firm — a company
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — for golf
  7. spell — letters
  8. content — happy
  9. club — for dancing
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. firm — steady
  12. lean — to bend
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. net — in sport
  16. club — a group
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. firm — decided
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lean — thin
  22. spell — magic
  23. sharp — clever
  24. net — for catching

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