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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. craft — boats
  12. stand — to bear
  13. drill — army training
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. drill — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. toast — bread

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