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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 · bowl · craft · roll · staff · stock · saw · bound

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. roll — a list
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stock — goods
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. staff — a stick
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stock — shares
  13. craft — boats
  14. staff — employees
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bound — certain
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. saw — the tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. roll — a cake
  24. craft — a skill

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