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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · clip · sharp · cap · net · arm · track · foot

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cap — of ice
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. net — in sport
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. sharp — clever
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. net — for catching
  16. clip — to cut
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. track — a path
  24. net — after costs

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