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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: lash · march · scale · field · arm · fan · dip · stock

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. march — the month
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. field — farmland
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. field — for sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. scale — in music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. march — music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stock — shares
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. field — a subject
  24. dip — to dunk

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