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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · staff · racket · cell · fine · sharp · bore · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cell — a phone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. staff — employees
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — all right
  10. bore — to tire
  11. staff — employees
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a great time
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. arm — part of the body

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