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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. track — to keep track
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chest — a box
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stock — shares
  9. club — for golf
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stock — goods
  12. chair — a leader
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chest — of your body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — to breed
  19. track — a path
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. club — a group
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mate — a friend

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