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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chest · stock · arm · safe · march · pitcher · bay · club

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. chest — of your body
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. march — the month
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stock — goods
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chest — a box
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. club — for golf
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. club — a group
  19. chest — of your body
  20. march — music
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bay — a horse colour

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