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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. capital — a city
  4. field — for sport
  5. capital — money
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. field — a subject
  11. fine — all right
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — goods
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chest — a box
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. field — farmland
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stock — shares

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