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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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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: stick · stock · swing · last · arm · snap · present · craft

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. last — to go on
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. last — final
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. last — finally
  11. present — the time now
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stock — goods
  14. craft — boats
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. present — there
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. present — a gift
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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