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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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 — goods
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. prune — to trim
  9. roll — a cake
  10. current — of water
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. current — happening now
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — shares
  19. kid — to tease
  20. current — electric
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — child
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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