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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: pit · arm · pop · safe · rule · hand · net · march

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — after costs
  5. hand — in cards
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. hand — help
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. march — the month
  10. pop — soda
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. march — music
  14. rule — government
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rule — a law
  18. net — for catching
  19. pop — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pop — to visit
  22. march — the month
  23. net — in sport
  24. pit — a hole

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