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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mug — a face
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chest — a box
  7. race — a contest
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — of a king
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — of law
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mug — to rob
  16. race — humankind
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fall — the season
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stock — goods
  22. court — for sport
  23. fine — all right
  24. stock — shares

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