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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 · saw · cap · band · march · content · stock · can

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. march — music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. band — a ring
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. content — happy
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — goods
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stock — shares
  17. march — the month
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. march — the month
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. cap — a lid

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