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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  3. degree — an amount
  4. firm — steady
  5. chest — a box
  6. stock — goods
  7. fall — the season
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — all right
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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