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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: board · bank · suit · sharp · court · saw · row · arm

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. court — of law
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. row — to paddle
  8. court — for sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. board — to get on
  16. row — a line
  17. court — of a king
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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