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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: tube · safe · deal · net · chair · fine · pitcher · bat

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. net — after costs
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bat — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fine — all right
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. net — for catching
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bat — for baseball

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