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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 116 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: can · net · mug · safe · deal · sharp · land · hand

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. net — for catching
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hand — help
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — a country
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mug — a face
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mug — a cup
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — clever
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — in cards
  23. can — to be able to
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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