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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: net · pop · rule · arm · cell · chest · suit · object

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. object — an aim
  3. rule — a law
  4. net — for catching
  5. suit — clothes
  6. object — to protest
  7. pop — to visit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chest — a box
  13. rule — government
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pop — soda
  17. cell — a phone
  18. net — in sport
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pop — music
  21. net — after costs
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. object — a thing
  24. chest — of your 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