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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 120 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: track · march · rock · arm · lean · stock · last · scale

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. last — to go on
  3. scale — in music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stock — shares
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — the month
  16. track — a song
  17. march — music
  18. lean — thin
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stock — goods
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. 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