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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stock — shares
  4. spring — the season
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chip — to eat
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spring — of water
  15. object — a thing
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stock — goods
  24. chip — for betting

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