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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · stock · stick · swing · bark · key · march · arm

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — boats
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. craft — a skill
  14. key — the most important part
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. march — music
  17. key — in music
  18. swing — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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