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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: toast · arm · stock · board · ball · stand · wound · saw

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wound — an injury
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ball — a great time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. board — a committee
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stand — to bear
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ball — a dance
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. board — to get on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. toast — bread
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. toast — the most admired

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