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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: march · arm · foot · toast · jam · stock · deal · spell

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. march — music
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. spell — a short time
  10. deal — to handle
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stock — goods
  13. spell — magic
  14. stock — shares
  15. spell — letters
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — bread
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. foot — a measure
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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