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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: key · net · arm · suit · march · snap

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He took the fish out of 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. arm — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. march — the month
  7. suit — to fit
  8. march — music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. net — in sport
  11. suit — in cards
  12. march — the month
  13. snap — to click
  14. key — in music
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. suit — clothes
  17. key — for a lock
  18. net — for catching

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