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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: court · arm · pass · net · rash · bank · coach · nail

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — in sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. net — for catching
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rash — hasty
  15. court — for sport
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rash — a series
  21. bank — for money
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rash — on the skin

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