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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · march · net · arm · stock · root · fan · nail

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. root — of a plant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kick — in football
  11. root — of a word
  12. net — in sport
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. root — the cause
  16. march — the month
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stock — goods
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kick — with a leg

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