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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: bound · saw · arm · track · chip · suit · row · court

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chip — for betting
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. row — to paddle
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — a song
  10. row — a line
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. court — for sport
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. court — of law
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — certain
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. track — a path
  24. chip — to eat

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