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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stock — goods
  5. chest — a box
  6. firm — steady
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rash — hasty
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stock — shares
  20. firm — a company
  21. mark — a grade
  22. firm — decided
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rash — a series

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