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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: bark · firm · stock · band · scale · craft · arm · pass

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stock — goods
  5. firm — a company
  6. craft — a skill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. craft — boats
  12. stock — shares
  13. band — a music group
  14. scale — size or range
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. firm — decided
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. band — a ring
  24. bark — to shout

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