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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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Word bank
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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: stock · lash · jam · degree · mate · board · pop · arm

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stock — goods
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pop — soda
  10. degree — temperature
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mate — to breed
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pop — to visit
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pop — music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stock — shares
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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