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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. club — for dancing
  4. current — electric
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. current — happening now
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. current — of water
  10. kid — child
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. present — the time now
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chest — a box
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chest — of your body
  24. present — a gift

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