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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: arm · stock · squash · foot · firm · straw · bay · stick

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. firm — a company
  6. stock — shares
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. foot — a measure
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. firm — steady
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stock — goods
  24. firm — decided

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