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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: mate · cue · roll · net · arm · bank · march · saw

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. net — after costs
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — for catching
  9. roll — a list
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. roll — a cake
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bank — for money
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. net — in sport
  24. roll — on a roll

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