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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. degree — temperature
  5. kid — child
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. staff — employees
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — a match
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stock — goods
  19. staff — a stick
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stock — shares
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. staff — employees
  24. rule — a law

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