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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: squash · lie · land · bay · arm · stock · scale · club

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. club — for dancing
  5. squash — to crush
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. scale — size or range
  12. land — ground
  13. club — a group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. land — to come down
  18. stock — shares
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. club — for golf
  24. land — a country

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