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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
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: season · branch · stick · arm · court · stock · foot · band

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stock — goods
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. band — a music group
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. branch — a division
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. court — of law
  16. stock — shares
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. court — of a king
  23. band — a ring
  24. foot — the bottom

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