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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: firm · squash · dip · mouse · lean · chip · foot · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. foot — a measure
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. dip — to sink
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lean — thin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. firm — steady
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mouse — the animal
  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