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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stock — shares
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — a box
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stock — goods
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — a hole

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