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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stock — shares
  4. capital — a city
  5. cell — in biology
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. club — a group
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chest — of your body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stock — goods
  13. cell — a phone
  14. club — for dancing
  15. capital — money
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. club — for golf
  18. chest — a box
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. capital — a big letter

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