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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: trunk · mate · arm · jam · stock · rock · craft · rash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. craft — boats
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rock — a stone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rock — music
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stock — goods
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mate — a friend
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stock — shares

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