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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. foot — a measure
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stock — shares
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stock — goods
  12. cap — of ice
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cap — a lid
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chest — a box
  22. swing — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. foot — the bottom

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