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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: sharp · bass · net · saw · cabinet · arm · file · content

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. content — the amount
  6. net — after costs
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. file — a tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. sharp — clever
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bass — low music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. file — a document
  18. content — happy
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. net — in sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. net — for catching
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. sharp — with an edge

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