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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: stock · swing · jam · stick · mark · drill · last · arm

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. swing — in golf
  4. last — finally
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mark — a trace
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — shares
  13. last — final
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. swing — to play on
  18. last — to go on
  19. stock — goods
  20. swing — music
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. drill — army training

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