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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: fan · arm · stock · stand · squash · leaves · scale · shower

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. squash — the sport
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — to crush
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stock — goods
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stock — shares
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — rain
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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