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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: band · pop · chest · rash · stock · safe · foot · arm

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chest — of your body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a ring
  8. rash — a series
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. band — a music group
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. chest — of your body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — a box
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pop — soda
  24. rash — on the skin

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