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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. firm — a company
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — a friend
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. club — a group
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. mate — to breed
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. tube — a container
  21. mate — a partner
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. arm — part of the body

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