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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. swing — music
  5. content — happy
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. swing — to play on
  9. kid — child
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stand — to bear
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stock — shares
  16. content — the amount
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stock — goods
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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