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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: content · net · track · rock · spell · jam · hide · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. track — a path
  3. net — after costs
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. content — happy
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. spell — magic
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. spell — letters
  12. net — in sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — a song
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — the amount
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — a stone
  22. net — for catching
  23. rock — music
  24. jam — in traffic

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