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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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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 · club · pit · toast · stock · cap · root · drill

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cap — of ice
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stock — goods
  7. pit — in a race
  8. club — for golf
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. root — of a word
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — a group
  15. drill — army training
  16. cap — a lid
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — a hole
  20. club — for dancing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — a hat
  23. drill — a practice
  24. toast — 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