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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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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: deal · wake · bound · jam · arm · bulb · stock · pitch

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bound — certain
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stock — shares
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — tied together
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stock — goods

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