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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. squash — the sport
  5. track — to keep track
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stock — shares
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. track — a song
  12. stock — goods
  13. chest — a box
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. track — a path
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stock — a soup base

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