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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bear — the animal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. squash — the sport
  8. swing — music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. roll — a list
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. kid — child
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. swing — to play on
  23. squash — to crush
  24. dip — to dunk

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