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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. kid — child
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rock — music
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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