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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: dip · charge · stick · net · saw · race · band · arm

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. race — a contest
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. race — the arms race
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. charge — electricity
  10. band — a ring
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. net — after costs
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. race — humankind
  16. saw — the tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. charge — a price
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. charge — in control

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