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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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468
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: arm · racket · stock · temple · hide · roll · swing · march

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stock — shares
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. march — the month
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. roll — a list
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. roll — a cake
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stock — goods
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. swing — music

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