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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chest — of your body
  3. last — finally
  4. cue — a signal
  5. field — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — shares
  8. bound — tied together
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cue — a hint
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cue — for pool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. last — final
  15. field — a subject
  16. chest — a box
  17. bound — obliged
  18. field — farmland
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bound — certain
  22. stock — goods
  23. last — to go on
  24. safe — a strongbox

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