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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: row · net · bark · arm · stock · bulb · club · jam

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. arm — part of the body
  3. club — a group
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. club — for golf
  6. row — a line
  7. net — for catching
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — goods
  17. bulb — for light
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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