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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: rock · row · foot · racket · bound · rash · net · arm

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. net — after costs
  2. rock — music
  3. bound — certain
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. net — in sport
  7. foot — a measure
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. row — a line
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rash — hasty
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bound — tied together
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rash — a series
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. net — for catching
  23. foot — part of the body
  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