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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: arm · bound · firm · scale · coach · stock · march · saw

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stock — goods
  3. saw — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. firm — steady
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. firm — a company
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. firm — decided
  11. march — the month
  12. scale — size or range
  13. march — music
  14. bound — certain
  15. scale — in music
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — shares
  19. bound — tied together
  20. march — the month
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bound — obliged
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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