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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: roll · arm · pass · net · nail · racket · bound · row

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — for catching
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. row — to paddle
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. roll — a list
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bound — tied together
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. row — a line
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bound — obliged
  19. net — in sport
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bound — certain
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — to spend time

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