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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. scale — size or range
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. scale — in music
  22. tube — a container
  23. kid — child
  24. stock — goods

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