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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. track — to keep track
  3. current — happening now
  4. branch — a division
  5. stock — goods
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kid — child
  8. current — of water
  9. stock — shares
  10. vault — a safe
  11. object — to protest
  12. track — a song
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tear — from crying
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. current — electric
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. track — a path
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. tear — from crying
  23. kid — to tease
  24. tear — to rip

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