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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chest — a box
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chip — for betting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. chest — of your body
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chest — of your body

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