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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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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 · bank · bound · cue · roll · saw · net · arm

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. firm — steady
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bank — for money
  5. roll — a cake
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bank — for money
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bound — obliged
  12. net — after costs
  13. roll — a list
  14. net — for catching
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bound — certain
  17. bank — of a river
  18. firm — a company
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. firm — decided

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