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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 120 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: kid · temple · fan · craft · bay · arm · stock · club

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — a group
  9. kid — child
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. craft — boats
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stock — goods
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. club — for golf
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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