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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: stick · bound · pit · arm · firm · hand · bat · saw

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. firm — decided
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — a hole
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. hand — help
  20. bound — certain
  21. hand — in cards
  22. firm — a company
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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