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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: pop · content · sharp · net · file · fine · branch · snap

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. net — after costs
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. fine — high quality
  7. file — a line of people
  8. net — in sport
  9. branch — a division
  10. file — a document
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. file — a tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. pop — to visit
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pop — music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. net — for catching
  24. sharp — with an edge

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