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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. saw — the tool
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. charge — a price
  6. last — to go on
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. charge — in control
  9. stock — goods
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. last — finally
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stock — shares
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pound — a weight
  21. kid — to tease
  22. last — final
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. saw — the tool

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