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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: arm · bear · march · straw · perch · dip · cue · stock

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cue — a signal
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stock — goods
  7. cue — a hint
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bear — the animal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. perch — the fish
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. march — music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — for pool
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. arm — part of the body
  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