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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: bank · stock · staff · arm · firm · wound · pass · kid

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stock — shares
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. staff — a stick
  6. kid — child
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bank — for money
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. staff — employees
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bank — for money
  23. firm — a company
  24. stock — goods

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