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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: cabinet · arm · band · hand · bulb · object · cap · stock

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — goods
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stock — shares
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hand — help
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. object — a thing
  21. band — a music group
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cabinet — ministers

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