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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 120 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: march · vault · racket · stand · arm · chip · stock · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stand — to bear
  3. chip — to eat
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. firm — decided
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stock — goods
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — a safe
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — a company
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. march — the month
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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