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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: bound · bay · march · arm · stock · deal · bat · rash

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. march — music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. march — the month
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stock — shares
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bat — the animal
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. march — the month
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bound — certain
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rash — a series

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