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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: firm · court · roll · rock · chip · arm · net · mark

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mark — a grade
  3. roll — a list
  4. mark — a trace
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. rock — music
  8. net — for catching
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. firm — a company
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chip — for betting
  14. net — after costs
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. firm — decided
  17. net — in sport
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. court — of a king
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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