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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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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: arm · roll · scale · bay · toast · stick · march · chest

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. march — the month
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. march — music
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. toast — bread
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. scale — in music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. roll — a list
  18. scale — size or range
  19. roll — a cake
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — for weighing
  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