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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. foot — a measure
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — the most important part
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chest — a box
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stock — shares
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. arm — a part of something

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