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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: fall · pitch · rock · temple · arm · hand · stock · fork

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fall — the season
  4. stock — goods
  5. hand — help
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rock — a stone
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stock — shares
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stock — a soup base

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