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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · chest · rash · drill · club · stock · temple · jam

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. drill — a practice
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rash — a series
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — a box
  16. rash — hasty
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. club — a group
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. chest — of your body
  24. temple — a place of worship

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