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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mark — a trace
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stock — shares
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rule — government
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. present — there
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. degree — from a university
  16. present — a gift
  17. stock — goods
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rule — a law
  20. present — the time now
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. kid — child
  24. mark — a grade

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