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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. season — in sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. track — a path
  10. rock — a stone
  11. season — of the year
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — shares
  14. chest — a box
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stock — goods
  18. track — to keep track
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. track — a song
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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