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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stock — shares
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stock — goods
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. march — the month
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. march — music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. march — the month
  24. mine — for digging

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