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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: roll · arm · tear · ground · stock · scale · mark · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mark — a trace
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stock — shares
  8. scale — in music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ground — a position
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stock — goods
  18. roll — a list
  19. mark — a grade
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. tear — from crying
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — the earth

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