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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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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: stock · arm · firm · pound · snap · perch · bank · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stock — goods
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — shares
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to click
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pound — a weight
  11. firm — decided
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — a company
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bank — for money
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. foot — a measure
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — the fish
  24. firm — steady

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