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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stock — goods
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. scale — in music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. swing — music
  11. present — there
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. present — a gift
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rest — a break
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. present — the time now

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