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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 120 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. band — a music group
  6. firm — decided
  7. foot — a measure
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. season — in sport
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. firm — steady
  15. saw — the tool
  16. firm — a company
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. season — of the year
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stock — goods
  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