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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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. drill — a practice
  4. stock — shares
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pit — a hole
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. drill — army training
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chest — a box
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — the tool
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stock — goods
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fan — a supporter

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