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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 120 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: net · object · nail · cue · arm · wound · march · fine

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. march — music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cue — a hint
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. net — for catching
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. net — after costs
  12. object — to protest
  13. wound — an injury
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cue — a signal
  18. object — a thing
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fine — all right
  22. wound — an injury
  23. march — the month
  24. object — an aim

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