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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. toast — bread
  6. bound — tied together
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. bound — certain
  12. pop — soda
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stock — shares
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pop — to visit
  18. present — there
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stock — goods
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pop — music
  24. chest — a box

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