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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · march · arm · band · stock · ball · bay · foot

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. stock — shares
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. march — the month
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. march — music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. band — a ring
  17. ball — a great time
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a music group
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stock — goods
  23. ball — a dance
  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