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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chest — of your body
  4. track — a song
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pit — a hole
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. club — a group
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — help
  14. chest — a box
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. chest — of your body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pit — in a race
  20. club — for golf
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hand — in cards
  24. temple — side of the head

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