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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 120 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
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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: arm · cap · net · bat · file · sharp · foot · bark

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. file — a document
  3. net — in sport
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bark — to shout
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. file — a line of people
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. net — after costs
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. net — for catching
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. file — a tool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cap — a lid
  24. arm — part of the 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