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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chest — of your body
  6. key — in music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chest — a box
  12. bank — for money
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stock — goods
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stock — shares

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