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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: bowl · scale · chest · kick · toast · tube · stock · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. chest — a box
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. scale — size or range
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. scale — in music
  11. tube — a container
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. kick — in football
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. tube — the underground
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. arm — part of the body

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