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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: stock · arm · fan · cap · toast · shower · scale · pass

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. shower — rain
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. shower — to wash
  8. scale — in music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pass — a permit
  24. toast — bread

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