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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. net — in sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bound — obliged
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. bank — for money
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bound — certain
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stock — shares
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mouse — the animal

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