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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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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: last · safe · fine · pound · chip · mate · net · chest

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chest — a box
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mate — a partner
  6. last — finally
  7. mate — a friend
  8. last — final
  9. net — in sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pound — a weight
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fine — all right
  15. net — for catching
  16. fine — high quality
  17. last — to go on
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chip — for betting
  20. net — after costs
  21. chest — of your body
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pound — to hit hard

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