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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: fork · fan · press · net · safe · straw · jam · chip

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. net — in sport
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. net — for catching
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. press — to push
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. press — a publisher
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fork — in a road
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chip — for betting
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. press — newspapers
  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