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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
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: rest · game · arm · jam · drill · mouse · bat · net

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. game — wild animals
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. drill — a practice
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. net — for catching
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. game — a match
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. net — in sport
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. arm — a part of something
  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