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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: arm · saw · race · stock · cap · branch · bowl · scale

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stock — goods
  4. race — humankind
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stock — shares
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. race — the arms race
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. scale — in music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. race — a contest
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — size or range
  24. saw — the tool

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