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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 120 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 · stick · safe · chip · mouse · court · mine · club

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. net — after costs
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chip — for betting
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. net — for catching
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. court — of a king
  22. net — in sport
  23. court — of law
  24. club — for golf

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