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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: key · bank · net · saw · stick · pop · arm · hand

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. net — for catching
  5. pop — to visit
  6. net — after costs
  7. pop — music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. hand — in cards
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. key — for a lock
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bank — of a river
  20. hand — help
  21. pop — soda
  22. bank — for money
  23. key — the most important part
  24. saw — the tool

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