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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: track · arm · saw · pop · stock · wake · chest · bear

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. chest — of your body
  7. track — to keep track
  8. chest — of your body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chest — a box
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. stock — shares
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. track — a song
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — a path
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pop — music

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