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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — a stone
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rock — music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. vault — a safe
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — goods

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