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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: net · fine · season · snap · cell · cabinet · game · sharp

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — a match
  6. cell — in biology
  7. net — in sport
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. season — of the year
  13. net — for catching
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fine — all right
  16. season — in sport
  17. fine — high quality
  18. sharp — clever
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cell — a phone
  21. net — after costs
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. season — to add flavour

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