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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · cap · arm · stem · firm · stock · bear · pound

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stock — shares
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. stock — goods
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chest — a box
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — steady
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cap — a hat
  24. arm — part of the body

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