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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. toast — bread
  5. chest — of your body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rash — a series
  8. bass — the fish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stock — shares
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stock — goods
  15. chest — a box
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bass — low music
  18. content — happy
  19. rash — hasty
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bass — the instrument

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