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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. court — of a king
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. court — for sport
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stock — goods
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. court — of law
  18. kid — child
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kid — to tease
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. can — to be able to

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