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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. drill — army training
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bound — certain
  14. ball — a great time
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mouse — for a computer

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