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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: firm · stand · saw · court · bound · dip · net · arm

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. firm — steady
  10. dip — to sink
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bound — obliged
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stand — to bear
  15. firm — decided
  16. saw — the tool
  17. net — for catching
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. firm — a company
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. court — of law
  24. stand — for spectators

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