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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. mug — a face
  5. game — a match
  6. mug — to rob
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mug — a cup
  9. charge — a price
  10. firm — steady
  11. charge — in control
  12. field — for sport
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stock — shares
  16. field — farmland
  17. firm — a company
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. field — a subject
  23. firm — decided
  24. charge — electricity

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