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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 · clip · cabinet · fine · arm · charge · craft · roll

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. roll — a cake
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. clip — to cut
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. clip — a video
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stock — shares
  10. roll — a list
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. charge — electricity
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fine — all right
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stock — goods
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. craft — a handicraft

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