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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bass — low music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. stock — shares
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chest — a box
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bound — obliged
  23. key — in music
  24. stock — goods

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