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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · stick · arm · march · race · stock

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stock — shares
  4. race — a contest
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. race — humankind
  13. stock — goods
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. march — the month

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