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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: foot · sharp · arm · racket · cell · nail · bear · band

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. band — a ring
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cell — a phone
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. band — a music group
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cell — in biology

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