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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · pitcher · mark · game · toast · arm · chair · stock

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stock — shares
  4. toast — bread
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. game — a match
  17. stock — goods
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. game — a kind of play

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