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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: chip · lean · net · safe · hand · bay · ball · field

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. net — for catching
  3. field — for sport
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chip — to eat
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — thin
  14. hand — help
  15. field — farmland
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. net — in sport
  21. ball — a great time
  22. field — a subject
  23. net — after costs
  24. safe — out of danger

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