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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. swing — in golf
  8. kid — child
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. swing — music
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. swing — to play on
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stock — goods
  22. kid — to tease
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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