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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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Word bank
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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: pass · trunk · firm · mouse · cap · stock · content · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. content — the amount
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. content — happy
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. chest — a box
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. firm — decided
  14. stock — shares
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stock — goods
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. firm — steady
  22. cap — a lid
  23. firm — a company
  24. pass — to succeed

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