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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stock — goods
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stock — shares
  8. firm — a company
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. firm — decided
  13. toast — bread
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. firm — steady
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chest — of your body
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cap — of ice

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