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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. object — an aim
  3. stand — to bear
  4. chest — a box
  5. court — for sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. squash — the sport
  11. current — of water
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. object — to protest
  17. court — of a king
  18. object — a thing
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. court — of law

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