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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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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 · row · content · firm · bank · track · arm · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. track — to keep track
  6. row — a line
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — decided
  12. roll — a cake
  13. track — a song
  14. content — happy
  15. track — a path
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. firm — steady
  21. content — the amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. firm — a company

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