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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: net · season · pitcher · stock · arm · plane · staff · march

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stock — shares
  5. march — the month
  6. net — after costs
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — in sport
  14. march — the month
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stock — goods
  19. season — in sport
  20. plane — a tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. season — of the year
  23. march — music
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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