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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rash — a series
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stock — shares
  18. sharp — clever
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rash — hasty
  24. saw — the tool

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