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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: trunk · stock · swing · pitcher · arm · leaves · bay · bear

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stock — goods
  7. swing — in golf
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. swing — music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. arm — a part of something

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